Cutting the Puppet Strings
by MeBellis
Summary: How to deal with an assasin part I. Hitsugaya mused over the book tentatively picking it up, thoughts of one person in his mind. After reappearing years later with no knowledge of who they are, Karin strikes to kill. Hitsukarin & others.
1. The easy life?

**A/N: **Well here we go people, my first chapter story. I hope it turns out well and is not a complete failure but hey, it happens. Personally I don't think it's to bad but... don't be surprised if I throw a major curve ball here or there and mess something up.

Hope you enjoy and the oh-so obvious, **REVIEW!** Please? It doesn't have to be long but please, please, please, please, use real grammar if you do instead of: O mi gawd, OMG! SO cul I luvs! U roc! etc. etc. This hurts me just as much as it hurts you.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the idea behind this story, and as far as I know right now I have no plans for OC's so... yeah.

Now I present to you, _Cutting the Puppet Strings_! **REVIEW!!!!!!!!! **Who reads this note anyway?  


* * *

  
She watched with peering eyes as he- no that wasn't right,_ it-_ erupted out of the building before her, sending flashes of rubble all around her and a torrent of billowing dirt at her eyes. The giant monster trudged out, it's feet creating small craters as it hallowed and glared maliciously down at her. It walked slowly and evenly as the dingy street lamps cast it's light upon it's large form. It was plainly unhappy and even more than that, humiliated.

The small girl believed she could march in and steal the sweet taste of revenge from him before he tasted it?!

The hollow angrily weaved it's arms about in an attempt to merely scare the child away, but she wouldn't budge from where she stood. Instead the girl kicked the gravel beneath her feet, creating more scratches the top of her sneakers and grumbled.

"Tch, do they always have to make such a mess?"

The hollow released a threatening rumble, barring it's long teeth at her. She flexed her fingers out in front of her, reached to her back and pulled a drawstring bag to her front, reaching in and recovering her ball. Tossing it from one hand to the other she continued,

"Now, we can do this the hard way or I can make this ea-" But she was too quickly cut off as it charged at her. Her eyes spread wide and she side stepped, missing it's claws by inches, "Whoa boy."

Furrowing her eyebrows at the mediocre assault on her she gripped her ball hard before sending it flying into the air, waiting in earnest for it to come back down to her.

Time seemed to slow as the ball came down, to find itself speed up in harsh contact with her foot as it spiralled swiftly at the hollow; aim true and strong to the bone mask.

Roaring, the hollow bounded backwards, falling uncomfortably onto it's back and rubbing it's forehead with frustration. He watched at the arrogance of the girl as she broadly grinned as she bobbed back and forth, swinging on the balls of her heels in anticipation. "Well? That all you got?"

_Like a moth to the flame _she whispered happily to herself as it raised itself from the ground, continuously grumbling and swearing as it came towards her, fumbling and disoriented. Assaulting her with confused attacks she effortlessly dodged them, moving with speed despite her bulky sneakers.

She taunted him; laughing at his pitiful efforts to catch up, slowly leading them back to her ball so she perform her finale strike.

She was oddly silent as her graceful yet rough steps trampled all over the ground. Stringing it along she whistled to herself as the wind ruffled her hair and sent it trialing behind her in whirling strands. She swivelled and dived bouncing off the ground as if it were a trampoline.

The sound of crunching footsteps and flying debris echoed against her ears, but none were matched with the yelps and aggravated cries of the hollow as it perused her inconsistent silhouette. Leaping onto it's shoulder she flicked it's head, laughing loudly and landed on the ground with precision that put her beside her ball.

Too caught up in the thrill of battle she hardly noticed when it came swooping down on her and lashed, sending her crashing back. Ragged with stones and covered in dirt she sat up and wiped her mouth with her hand; her teeth still clenched she sneered,

"Payback huh? Okay I guess I deserved that one."

Rousing from her stupor she ambled to her feet cautiously, not wanting to spill back to the ground. Regaining her balance she brushed off her shorts airily; reprimanding herself for the seep of focus in her concentration.

The hollow made one small decisive step, and right on beat the girl responded eagerly, retracing her fluent and rushed movements from before. Her face lit with excitement, she paced her movements to just graze above that of her opponents.

Intently observing the unpredictable bounds of the hollow - most likely due to lack f coordination from her previous strike- slender brown eyes traced it's discomfort and found an advantage in them.

Aiming for between his feet she dropped onto the ground and slid through his legs confusing the giant and granting her perfect access to her ball once more.

Rushing over to it she reclaimed what was hers; protectively sheltering it for mere seconds she proceeded, fixated on the completion of her self imposed mission. Madly grinning she let the ball fly once more; charging at the hollow there was no time to dodge before it made a painful and loud crack in his mask. Sending it shattering into the breeze, she watched as the whole figure dissipated before her eyes, leaving a smiling figure in it's place.

The soul wavered in midair, suspended beside the gate created that would eventually lead it into Soul Society, it's feelings repressed and anger subsided.

He lightly dangled above her, signs of content and wistful freedom played softly in his features. She heard it gently talk to her, it's - no _his- _voice, soothing and calm.

"_What is your name child?" _

She extended her arm out and waved goodbye as it's soul finally made it's exit; her inherited lopsided grin presenting itself.

"Kurosaki Karin."

O-x-x-x-x-x-O

Karin strode home proudly, another good deed done and only minor scratches to show for it. The building, well, not everyone got off lucky. Nonchalantly leaving the scene whistling and fiddling with her fingers innocently; she twisted down alleyways with speed, fleeing the destruction that was left in the stead of her opponent.

Strumming her fingers across the worn out lines of her torn and damaged soccer ball she flowed to the beat of a song stuck in her head, swinging to the blissful beat.

It was about halfway to her house when Karin instantaneously froze. Her body fridgid Karin let the feeling overwhelm her. She _knew_ that feeling. She _knew_ that sensation.

She _knew_ _that _was the real Kurosaki Ichigo.

Her heart pounding wildly in her chest she pumped her legs, begging her body to run as fast as it could to catch up with her brother. Sure, whatever took over Ichigo's body while he was gone was kind to her- she often felt he was yet another brother or addition to her family- but he or it wasn't Ichigo.

Heaving and gasping for breath to enter her lungs she panned her eyes across the field searching out for him.

Unfortunately the eyes she laid upon were not that of her brothers, or of a human for that matter. She gulped as the large golden red eyes pierced into her body and glared at her with a menace she hadn't experienced for a long time.

It wasn't the average hollows she often fought; it was something stronger, harsher. But what scared her most wasn't that it was the fact that it was a form of hollow; but that in so many ways looked like a human. 

_A small human girl._

She mirrored Karin's age, but unlike Karin, was dressed from head to toe in a draping white uniform a sword sheath swung loosely around her waist, the actual weapon grasped roughly between the girl's fingers.

She sneered at Karin in a light and venomous tone, "Whatsa matter little girl?"

Karin stared and she peered her eyes at her intently –as if analyzing her- then wretched and turned her head away in disgust,

"Ugh what is _that?! _You have the same kind of reitsu as him!"

Karin began opening her mouth but was abruptly cut off by an all to familiar voice, "Karin?!"

She whipped her head around the arrancar's to see the figure of Ichigo, posing with his zanpaktou grasped tightly and his eyes wide. Screaming loudly he bellowed at Karin, "Get out of here! Don't just stand there idiot, RUN!"

The girl took this as an opportunity, clicking her tongue she looked at Karin who was standing before her, too paralyzed by the sheer reitsu to even gape. "She means something to you?"

Before Ichigo could even respond her arm was already up above her head ready to strike. Sparing a flailing glace at the shell-shocked teenager behind her she brought her sword slashing down.

Karin jumped back into gear and side stepped just in time for her to only give a light gash down her arm - a far better fate than the one the arrancar had planned for her.

"Shit!"

Ichigo began shunpoing to the greatest of his extent to prevent another attack on his sister. Clashing Zangetsu against the ground in a miss at his opponent he growled lowly at the grinning arrancar, "Don't touch her."

She shrugged offhandedly, "It's her fault for budding in during our fight. If she dies- she dies." Ichigo shook his head back and forth; anger gleaming dangerously from his eyes,

"Wrong answer."

Ichigo's rage was boiled and didn't leave even a fleeting chance of survival from the arrancar. His power conquered over her feeble attempts of protection and the battle ended in instants.

Towering over the shards of her body as she began to dissipate from the killing strike Ichigo looked at his sister,

"That was really stupid of you." She grinned as he ruffled her hair with his hand and sighed, "You're so difficult."

Karin sneered arrogantly, "Me? What about you, Mr.-Disappears-for-months-on-end-without-telling-anyone-where-he's-going!"

Ichigo grinned lopsidedly, "Yeah, yeah, yeah. But, I'm gonna be back for a while now, kay?" She kept her face down to the ground and heaved a sigh,

"Yuzu's gonna freak."

Ichigo took this as a good sign; no physical damage and what seemed to be an acceptance of his pitiful excuse of an apology.

"Let's just get home so I can get back into my real body already. This soul thing's driving me nuts."

They walked home together, an enigma to many who passed by as all they saw was a young teenage girl talking to midair. Eventually though not everything could be so picturesque as Ichigo made one of his fatal mistakes.

"Hey Karin?"

She replied offhandedly, "Yeah?"

"How old are you?"

" …"

The last thing onlookers could observe were the lethal antics of a small girl who seemed to have an incomprehensible vendetta against the space of air beside her.

* * *

**A/N: **Well there you have it. I hope you like it, because it's new I'll be updating faster that normal (I hope)**. ****REVIEW!!!! **P.S. I know this is a Hitsukarin but guys, your just gonna have to hold on for the appearance of Toushiro.


	2. A different type of normal

**A/N: **See? I am updating pretty fast. I know it's short but **read the ending note for explication.** Seriously. Read it. I hope I'm keeping up with everyones expectations, I personally don't think this this chapter is very good...

Disclaimer: Psh, as if I owned it.  


* * *

  
O-x-x-x-x-O **Chapter Two: A different type of normal**

Despite the chaos that ensued per the return of the oh-so-famous Ichigo Kurosaki, the next few days seemed to pass with a tinge of uplifting and mildly disturbing normality.

Karin mercilessly beat down on her older brother until he apologized and correctly answered all questions a _normal _brother would know.

He went back to school after an astounding and school record breaking absence and saw his _normal_ friends again.

He reluctantly was reprimanded for attempting to brandish his sword and was instead forced to carry a backpack like a _normal_ teenager.

He played sports with his younger sister when asked (threatened), and willed himself to do housework for Yuzu out of the sheer goodness of his heart (fear) like a _normal_ older brother.

He didn't shunpo to get to places but instead walked through Karakura like a _normal_ car-less teen.

And above all he pretended to know absolutely nothing of Soul Society or shinigami like a _normal living being._

In fact, he began to act so _normal_ he was promptly sent home from school by fretting teachers who believed he should have his health checked and _not_ come to school the next day.

Because- to be frank- that was _his_ norm.

Although, no matter how normal he pretended to be Ichigo still had the urge to go off and fight hollows every now again with his new and highly skilled powers.

At first the shinigami replacement -used for intervals of Ichigo's absence- was highly discouraged and annoyed at the prospect of getting nagged at by Ichigo and his extended, "Tips on how to be a better Shinigami: Rukia style Part I" knowledge.

Although, after approximately the seventh or so time he dismissed the idea of even showing up at all, and instead provided himself with a more efficient use of his time exploring the wonders of caffeine beverages.

Ahhh, the sweet relief of a caffeine high.

Aside from his retaken over shinigami duties Ichigo had let himself be forcefully persuaded by a strangely smooth talking Karin to play a game of soccer. Following obediently behind his sister like a baby duckling, Ichigo marched over to the soccer field for the sixth time that week.

About half an hour into the game Ichigo realized just how difficult it was for keeping pace with Karin while out of his shinigami form. He had always been fast, but Karin seemed to keep up with all of his turns and parries to an extent where he began to doubt his own speed.

Normally the world appeared to move in slow-motion; as such is the effect of having a bankai that enhances your speed tenfold, then adding a hollow mask it seemed to become effortless to shunpo at the speed of light.

But when he was back in his body- his living, breathing, non-extraordinary body- Ichigo dawned on how slow the living really are, and how difficult it was to keep tabs on those who were fast for humans.

He found himself struggling to keep sight of her fluid yet choppy movements; the way she darted around the field in a blur, hopping over the ball and rearranging it to change her direction. It was as if it was an extension of her the way she kept in time and glided along like she was skating on ice.

Although the largest shock was delivered to Ichigo not by her movements, but her trying questions.

"You fight hollows right Ichi-nii?"

He didn't answer. To some reason there was an unspoken code within himself that he wouldn't endanger Karin by giving her information that could immerse her in the war. No matter how small, the spiritual world should be dealt with by the professionals' and them alone.

More or less.

"Fine, then. Just completely ignore me!" Ichigo snapped out of his daze "Hm?"

She shook her head impatiently and pressed the palms of her hands to her forehead.

"Agggghhhh! Why are you so annoying?! I'm trying to be serious for once and ask you what the heck is going on so I won't _always_ feel so confused and you chose this time to go to cloud nine?!"

Ichigo felt the bitter tone in her voice more than what he heard, and decided it would probably be the smartest choice to turn his head away form her glare and stay silent. Karin held her breath still feeling her heart pounding away in her chest. Squeezing her eyes closed and balling her fist she screamed,

"Damnnit!"

And once again there was no reply. Clenching her teeth down hard she focused her frustrations on her ball. It was sent spiraling into the air, flying past Ichigo's head at high speeds; and what appeared to be a tinge of a red glow radiating off the ball, licking against the streaks of air the force of the kick had created. Peels of red energy bounced off the sides letting a shard graze the side of Ichigo's cheek.

Ichigo flinched and raised a hand to touch his cheek. It was red and sore, and where the red energy had touched directly was a scratch mark. Gulping lightly and breathing in he turned to face Karin again.

She was in shock. Her eyes were wide and fixated on the mark on the side of Ichigo's face. He tried to talk to her but all it seemed was absorbed were bits and pieces, Karin looked disconnected and her mouth was slightly hung open. Coming to her senses she found her voice and began to ramble on over Ichigo's questions that had been heard to only deft ears.

"Ichi-Ichi-nii… I-I didn't mean to actually… I mean I guess I did but I was angry and I mean-"

"Karin where did you learn to do this?" He glazed intently on his sister, his voice stern and serious. Karin recoiled away, surprised by his reaction.

"Where did I learn…?"

"Yes. Who taught you this?"

Karin supplied a weak smile for him and shrugged offhandedly, resisting eye contact. "No one. I taught myself."

She was positive he would've roll his eyes had it not ruined his serious demeanor. He saw she was lying and his voice went stern, "Karin."

"What?"

"Karin!" She let herself be boiled with rage, who was he to tell her to not be involved with a war that she was already a part of?

"_What?!_ Huh? What do you want me to tell you?! I'm sorry? I promise to forget everything? I'm sorry for interfering with a battle that does involve me? What do you want me to do?!"

"Karin I just-"

"No! You know why I get so damn caught up in this whole mess?! Why I want to know so much? It's because I know your fighting it everyday! Every single day that I know your not at home I- even Yuzu is scared! She doesn't even know why! Whenever your gone, she _knows_, she can't see what the spirit in your body is but she knows it's not _you._"

Ichigo stood planted flatly on the ground as her last sentence hung sourly in the air. Her eyes glared at him as if they were daring him to make a move, daring him to even try and respond.

But none came.

So, with her head held high and fists tightly clench Karin walked off the field and headed home; leaving a stoic Ichigo firmly standing on the grassy plain.

No one questioned Karin's acidic behavior that night and isolation that secluded her form the rest of her family.

No one also questioned why -when they woke up the next morning, Ichigo was already gone.

* * *

**_  
A/N: _I know you guys want to kill me because it's so short but...._IMPORTANT!!!!_****This is not**** the whole chapter. I just felt putting the two pieces together wasn't right so I cut it up into two chapters, because of this the next one will be out _very_****soon. ****_IMPORTANT OVER!!!! _By the way, I forgot to mention earlier that Karin is supposed to be older in this, I'd say about thirteenish? (In the manga I'm pretty sure she's about ten, so let's just say everyone is three years older now). It will help the story make sense later after the time-skip.**

Toushiro is coming! Soon! But not in the next chapter because as I said before that one used to be part of chapter two, and there is no Hitsugaya in chapter two! _REVIEW PLEASE!_


	3. No Control

**A/N:** Okay, now i'm hurt. **_NO REVIEWS?!_** Not even one for the last chapter? Like I know it wasn't the best but, I would've even appreciated a comment advising on what I did wrong. I don't mind critics! People I am on chapter three and I have only one review. (Oxygen Deprived apparently you are my only friend on this one)

-sigh- Anyway I give you the second half of last chapter that I thought worked better being separate. Think I should've kept them together? **Review and tell me!**

**Disclaimer:** Yeah yeah yeah... [insert same disclaimer as always here]

* * *

O-x-x-x-x-O **Chapter 3: No Control**

Karin woke in a foul mood.

Throughout the morning she was venomous to everyone around her including her family, and- being the stupid yet observant people they were- knew to stay clear of her. Isshin avoided his daily dose of idiocy and Yuzu respected her privacy and offered a smile every time Karin looked at her.

It was also because of her negligence of her families attempts that Karin continued to storm around the house before finally announcing that she was going out. So, with her faithful ball tucked securely beneath her arm, she left the house without saying another word.

O-x-x-x-x-O

Karin rushed through the streets of Karakura, grumbling angry words under breath as she kicked aside any stones by her feet trying her hardest to feel even the smallest once of better.

It.  
Didn't.  
Work.

Anger throbbing through her veins she felt the need to fight and destroy something, anything to vent out her anger. In a rush of adrenaline she crossed the idea to release her reitsu and draw hollows to her. Somehow in the state f mind she was in- she seemed to enjoy the idea.

Slowly she began to carefully leak out reitu, wave after wave the spiritual energy breezed through the air. Tapping her foot against the pavement she became even angrier at the fact that nothing was coming.

Growing more impatient each moment with the lack of hollows surrounding her she flooded out all of the reitsu she could muster, sending out strong signs of her presence in every direction.

Aggravated by her brothers actions and words Karin lost all of her common sense and broke down any barriers she put up to keep her reitsu pent up.  
_Come and get me. _

Feeling the energy flow out of her fingertips, radiating out of her body, usually calmed her down. The release of her energy was something that Karin normally did when she was in distress, angry, or on the verge of tears. It would flow through her body, warming her up and calming her nerves. But not today, today it didn't help at all; instead it created a new reverse effect.

Sending the sensation of pins pricking against her skin through every sense in her body her reitsu drained out of her. She cringed at the feeling of the needles pressing against her; letting her body adapt to the pain as she continued to release her spiritual power.

Although unbeknownst to her there was someone watching. He had always made sure to keep an eye on the spiritually aware child as soon as he found out her family's relations. Her brother, and more over her _father_ seemed to be too large of a temptation for him to pass up. It was if someone was just handing her over.

It seemed too easy to be real.

He had done years of planning, of fixing, of modifying, of disillusioning people because he always looked at the big picture. But this, there was no big picture. It was just her, an ignorant father, an aggravated brother, an oblivious sister, and the fine line that kept him from reaching out and snatching them all up at once.

As always though there was still a _time. _The opportune moment that he still had to wait for. But he was patient; he knew the time would come. The chance to get her would conveniently entwine itself in with his other plans, it always did.

He loathed admitting it, but skill wasn't all he had, over the years Aizen developed a knack for having impossibly convenient, damn-good luck.

It also just happened to be a perfect combination for his addicting hobby of plotting world domination.

Knowing this he sent out an arrancar to go and fetch her. No need for some one particularly strong in the instance of resistance from the girl, although in the situation of backup from friends of family an espada was sent to do the job regardless.

It was to the gracious "volunteering" on Grimmjow's part that the blue haired espada reluctantly found himself tucked away in a tree after yet another Kurosaki. To his displeasure he found himself with all reason to go greet the young spitfire and no opportunity to not.

Leaping down with as much grace as he could manage -which happened to not be much- he strode over to Karin, hands in his pockets and thoroughly relaxed.

"Oi, kid." She lifted her head to see the laidback and strangely dressed man in front of her.

Karin had seen that type of uniform before. But she didn't need to see it to sense the immense change of reitsu he had compared to hers.

Nonchalantly gulping she turned her head away from him and continued to walk forward straight pass him as if she couldn't see him. Rolling his eyes Grimmjow looked down at the girl fidgeting as she fought to keep her balance from his reitsu and he clicked his tongue absentmindedly,

"Listen, kid, I know you can see me so just give it up, kay? Just get the hell over here and let's go. This could turn ugly real fast if you don't come nice."

Scrunching her eyes closed Karin continued to avoid him and breathed heavily, waiting and hoping for someone to come and help. Figuring she'd need some type of distraction to stall so that someone could come save her sorry butt she threw her ball in the air and prepared for the only attack she knew had to do.

Upon the fall of the ball she shot up off the ground spun around and pushed all the power she could muster up into her perfectly aimed kick and thrashed at the ball with her foot.

Turing around to get a better view of her kick she almost fainted when she saw what became of her best efforts. There in his hands were the crushed remains of her ball, tattered and limp in his fist.

Although that shock paled into comparison when she saw that he wasn't hurt _at all_. Not even the smallest scratch, not even a speck of dirt from her futile attempts at buying time.

"Was that it? Can't we just go already?"

Close to the point of petrified Karin did what any self respecting thirteen year old would have done faced in a life or death situation, ran as fast as her legs could possibly manage. Sprinting wildly away from a man she knew had the ability to kill her with the flick of his wrist, she felt her heart stop in her chest when she heard the unmistakable sound of a lazy and uninterested sigh coming from right beside her.

"Not much of a Kurosaki are you?"

He put of his hand and punched her stomach lightly sending her flying against a wall on the side of the street where she came crashing down, bleeding from her arms and legs. Hands wrapped around her knee with the pain of her broken leg she looked wearily up to him. Cuts sprayed across her body and she could already feel the bruises forming.

Raising his hand she watched as a small pillar of blue light came out of his fingers and formed a small dagger like blade in his hands. He turned the hand with the small energy in it at her and threw it down at her, watching as the concentrated power spread into multiple small chunks and stabbed at her body. Her whole body shook at the surge and she rammed her head against the wall behind her.

"Aghhhhhhhh!" She screamed at the pain as she looked down at her legs and arms. No blood was seeping from any cuts because _there were no cuts_. But she knew, inside of her, her bones were feeling the pressure, her arm broken as if a snapped twig.

Karin could feel her breath heavily being drained out of her lungs as she began to gasp for air.

With her vision blurring Karin approximated she could only remain conscious and aware for a couple more seconds, minute tops. Whimpering under her breath she fought back tears, resisting the urge to let the droplets of water slide down her face. Karin vowed she would never cry again, and certainly wasn't about to break her promise to her mother now.

Spinning her head from side to side she felt all her hope fade when her brother didn't come crashing around the corner, sword drawn ready to protect her. There was no ear piercing sound of his sword clashing against the blue haired man, no screaming as he would of ran to her side and gently inspected her wounds before sprinting her back to the clinic in his arms. No comforting words that it would all be okay in the end. Because no matter what angle she inspected her surroundings from, there was no trance of her mysterious savior in sight.

"If your looking for someone to come and save ya, no one's coming. Cuz' of your reistu no ones gonna notice me and the little bit I'm giving off now." He hoisted her up into the air with one arm and looked her in the eye,

"Now be good kid and just go unconscious already."

He was right. No one was coming. There was no one that was going to save her. And the face before her was the last thing she ever saw before her world went black.

But none of her tears fell to the pavement.

* * *

**A/N:** See what this does to me? Now I've got an angsty chapter to show for it. ANGST! Remember, even if you don't like the story review and tell me what I can do to improve it; not enough humor? Too much angst? Too convoluted? No romance?(which shall be coming, but first I have to get Karin and Toushiro in the same chapter, let alone face-to-face) BORING?! I can work with anything right about now. -sigh- I need ice cream.


	4. A friend in need is a friend thats lost

_**A/N: **I want to thank my reviewers from last chappie! Thanks so much guys for the extra encouragement. Now, I hereby present my next instillation of CtPS (It's **LONG!!!** Or well longer than my others...) Now, same old same old,_

_**Disclaimer: **Tite Kubo. Nuf' said._

P.S. Aren't I updating fast? See im not procrastinating!**

* * *

**

**O-x-x-x-x-O Chapter Four: A friend in need is a friend that's lost**

"Crap." The officer heaved in largely and screamed, "Crap, crap, crap, crap, CRAP!" Drumming his fingers anxiously on the keys he stared at the screen and continued to scream,

"This is bad, ohhhhhh this is very bad. This is really, really bad!" Swivelling his roller chair left and right he hollered for help,

"Help! Help now! Situation people, SITUATION!"

Grabbing the attention of the other scientists in the room they removed their headphones and earbuds, left their computers and walked lazily over to him,

"What now?" The still frightened lab officer pointed hesitantly to the flashing screen,

"Karakura."

They all turned to the sound of a grunt from behind them. A particularly arrogant offer leaned against her chair, his nose held high in the air a a certain tone of annoyance in his voice,

"Well, duh. When _isn't_it Karakura?" Glaring at the disbeliever behind him the scientist perused on pushing aside the snide comment.

"Anyway, look!" He tapped the glass screen and poked at the top of the large spike of the lit up monitor.

"So what? It's a reitsu bar? That Ichigo freak is always sending up high signals like that. He wouldn't be able to control his reitsuif we gave him a friggin' off switch." Rolling his eyes he continued to ignore the useless but true jabs of the man behind him.

"But this wasn't Ichigo. It was one of our volunteers." This time everyone froze, then the man who apparently had nothing better to say save the few bits of criticism finally appeared with the sense of actual logic.

"Get Kurosaki's ass in here, now."

Nodding vigorously one of the scientists darted out of the room, shunpoing to his greatest extent. Unfortunately due to some lack of concentration for anything besides the thoughts in his head, he found himself tumbling straight into a certain young white haired taichou.

Toppling them both to the ground the scientist quickly sprung up, and -noticing the figure rubbing his head on the ground- quickly began an array of jumbled and numerous apologies. "Oh, oh my gosh. I am so sorry, so terribly, terribly, terribly, sorry Hitsugaya Taichou. Terribly sorry, you have no idea I just-"

But he was abruptly cut off as Hitsugaya raised a hand to him, "It's nothing, just watch out next time." He avoided the frantic nodding as Hitsugaya began to pick up the papers that now lay haphazardly on the floor all around him.

"Why were you in such a rush?" He asked more out of politeness instead of curiosity, that and it gave the man something to say aside from the apologies.

"We have a situation at the Research and Development Department." Finally perking his interest Toushiro asked,

"What kind of situation?"

"Well Karakura's in trouble." Sighing Hitsugaya grumbled his words under his breath,

"What has that idiot done this time?" The scientist perked up slightly,

"No actually were very proud to announce that this time it _wasn't _Kurosaki. But we do need to find Kurosaki." Holding back any tone of interest in the matter Hitsugaya continued his questions,

"Why?"

"Well, there's been an enormous surge in reitsu, It's off the charts. And it just so happens that when something like that happens he's always involved somehow, even if simply by extension. Although there could be serious side effects for whoever-" He was cut off though, by the rustle of flying papers as Hitsugaya took off down the hallway in search of Ichigo.

Dashing around corridors, using his memory as a well-detailed map, Hitsugaya ran around the Gotei Thirteen buildings, knowing exactly where Ichigo would be.

With Rukia and Renji.

That or running away from Zaraki, but he assumed that the latter one was less likely due to the eleventh squad's captains' absence on some type of mission that involved Yachiru and a mother, either way he did not want to know.

Shunpoing into the sixth division's office he ran up and grabbed Ichigo by the collar, pulling him down to his height,

"Your coming with me, now." Ichigo looked at him with a confused expression,

"What the hell are you doing Toushiro?" Too distracted to even give out his 'It's Hitsugaya Taichou to you', lecture he simply replied,

"Your affiliated with this, you always are." With that he yanked the confused teen behind him as he sped off. And just for the sake of not being left out, Rukia and Renji couldn't help but follow.

"I swear Toushiro, if you don't tell me where your taking me I'm gonna…" Ichigo's sentence was cut short as Hitsugaya threw open the door and yanked him inside. Bringing him over to were one of the scientist was manning his desk and waving eagerly to a screen he watched at the researcher pointed,

"See?!" Ichigo looked blankly at the screen in front of him,

"And…?"

"And, see that spike in reitsu?!"

"Yeah…and?" Histugaya heaved out, aggravated by his incompetence,

"_That_happens to be from Karakura!" As Ichigo began to think about what the hell this had to do with him, he didn't even notice Rukia come up from behind him until impact from her hand landed violently on his head.

"You idiot! What did you break this time?!" Ichigo stepped back and waved his arms in protest,"I didn't do anything you midget!"

She jumped on his back and started pounding at his head. Sighing loudly Hitsugaya yelled over them,

"Shut up!" Both Ichigo and the girl on his back looked at the small boy before them, "Tell them."

One of the workers nodded hastily, pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, and began,

"Well throughout the past couple of years we've been taking extra measures to study the area of Karakura. Taking into consideration the extremely rare circumstance of the amount of spiritual power coming from the small town a couple of us have been given the task of monitoring it, me included. In order to do this we concluded that the most efficient of keeping tabs on the spiritual energy souces -namely your friends, family, and the Urahara crew- was to ugh, _chip them_." Ichigo moved towards the man dangerously,

"_Chip _us?" Shrinking under the reitsu Ichigo was putting off, he gulped and readjusted his glasses,

"Well, you see, they don't _hurt_ or anything, there are no _known_ side effects as of now, so they seem _relatively _safe and you can't see it because it's _only_ in your bloodstream.."

"YOU PUT THIS IN MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY?!"

"Like I said perfectly harmless, most of them don't even know they have it…"

"YOU PUT THEM IN US WITHOUT TELLING US?!"

"Well some people willingly volunteered, others had to have them put in discreetly without their knowledge, people like," He gulped yet again and said in a very small and weak voice, "You."

Ichigo was close to homicidal as images of old horror movies where aliens implant their victims with chips flashed vividly in his imagination.

"WHAT THE HELL? I WOULD HAVE NOTICED THE ALIENS!"

There was a pregnant pause in the room as all eyes turned to an oblivious Ichigo.

Awkwardly coughing away the thick tension someone piped up, "Well we had _methods_for people like you who would bluntly disagree to the prospect of having their reitsu tracked."

Smoothly -and flushed with neon red- Ichigo regained his posture momentarily to ask, not entirely sure if he wanted to know. "Methods?"

A couple of snickers came from around the room, and one finally spoke up,

"Who knew Rukia could be so sneaky." Ichigo's eyes grew wide and he spun around to see Rukia who had suddenly grown a spontaneous interest in the door- as she was staring at it, it and only it.

"When…?" Gaining a swelling sense of bravery another scientist chipped in to the humiliation, "Oh your chip was activated around five months ago, at about, 12:00 at night."

"You don't mean that was…"

Renji obliviously added gasoline to the fire, "Hey, isn't that when you guys stared dating?"

Unable to contain themselves another put their two cents in, "Oh, you naughty kids!"

The room broke into peels of side-splitting laughter, and Ichigo twisted his head from side to side, trying to fond someone who was on his side.

Rukia had continuously kept her focus on the door- blushing madly- Hitsugaya showed no particular interest, and Renji was doubled over laughing hysterically, but not quite enough for him to not flash Ichigo a thumbs up.

Although being glow-stick red Rukia managed to stutter out a few jumbled words,

"Can we just get back to the point of why we're here?"

Breathing in heavily to try and calm his laughter one of the scientists managed to control himself enough to proceed,

"Yes of course, we can discuss your little _gatherings_ at a later date but for now it seems we should get back to the task at hand." Slowly the laughter form around the room died down and everyone's attention fixed back on the chart before them,

"Well as we were saying, some people volunteered; many of your friends, and a bit of your family. Now because these ones were taken properly and without ugh, _assistance,_ their chips have a stronger signal so it is easier to tell them apart from you. So we know that this huge spike came from one of them."

"Okay so one of them just had a little power up, big deal."

"No it is a big deal actually. We've only seen drastic spikes when one of you was fighting for your life."

There was silence. Seeing the expressions on their faces, the wide eyes and slight jerks of heads from one to the other he hastily added,

"Not to say this person was at a captains level or anything, heavens no. I just mean that compared to what it was before this is _huge._" Renji spoke up from behind,

"Do we know who it was?"

"No. Most chips were modified to hold only the containment of the persons average spiritual pressure and slightly more, so by this all we can eliminate is everyone at Urahara's. Due to the drastic surge in their power the chip was, well, let's just say it doesn't work anymore, so we have the signal before it died but now, nothing."

"So what do we do now?"

"Well because it's in Karakura and well they are your friends we want you to go, that and you'd be able to find them fastest."

"Fastest, why the rush? Don't tell me this chip paralyzes or electrocutes us or something."

There was an uneasy pause among the scientists.

"Well this particular spike raises in dramatic speeds, but drops instantaneously. Which by all prior knowledge, shouldn't be possible."

"So?"

"It isn't possible to drop that fast. No chance, it _is _impossible. Even if you 'turn off' your power there would always be a remained, a lingering surge in reitsu. The only way this could be even possibly feasible was if, well…"

Ichigo had enough of the long pauses and sour hung sentences, he wanted to know what was happening and he wanted to know, _now._

"WELL WHAT?!"

The scientist who seemed to only been able to interject cynicism the whole conversation rose from his leaned position and replied in a very low voice,

"Was if the person died."

The words hung like poisonous gas in the air, suffocating Ichigo and the others.

"Well that or disappear off the face of the very earth." But Ichigo didn't hear; no one heard as they were all focused on the spot where Ichigo Kurosaki once stood, all eyes too slow to keep pace with the cloud of dust left in his tracks.

**O-x-x-x-x-O**

He had gone through the entirety of Krakura at least twice by now.

He went to absolutely every house he could think of, regardless of whether he believed they knew anything about Soul Society or possessed spiritual power or not. And it seemed that everyone had something about them, that either put them spot on as a target or in an impossible category.

Chad: He was so sure it would be him. Out of what was said he seemed to fit all qualifications and was thus the very first stop. Ichigo breathed a sigh of relief at the knowledge that one was safe, he could guarantee one of his friends was safe from death.

He could find relief knowing that he could give an absolute, positive, without a doubt guarantee that _one_ of his friends was out of harms way.

It also scared the living shit out of him.

Ishida: Tracking the Quincy Ichigo couldn't help but find himself with doubts that Uryuu would actually volunteer to have his reitsu tracked but never the less was a stop on his quest to find peace of mind.

Although when Ichigo disrupted him during his sowing class, there was hell to pay.

Ichigo personally believes that there was no reason to attempt to impale him with a pin but needless to say, Ishida urges to digress.

Orihime: Somehow he had particular doubts about Inoue. Not because she wouldn't gladly swallow something that let researchers she didn't know track her spiritual power, but that she would let herself come into harms way like that. Orihime always had a knack for staying out of trouble in his eyes.

I mean, there's a better chance an espada would appear out of an abyss hole that disrupts the laws of the universe and tell her she had one night to confess her vying love for someone before taking her away to Hueco Mundo via a rip in the time space continuum.

_As if._

Keigo: He merely checked to retain some type of sanity. To himself there was no threat that Keigo's spiritual pressure went off miraculously, or that he had any connection with anyone from Soul Society, or anyone dead for that : See above.

Chizuru: See above.

Tatsuki.

Tatsuki?

Tatsuki…?

Somehow Tatsuki was nowhere to be found. In all three of his rounds everywhere he went there seemed to be the absence of one particular person.

He went to her apartment numerous times- and when there was no response to him calling out her name- broke in. He went over and under every piece of furniture, in every room, in every apartment room on the floor. But she seemed to have disappeared.

Ichigo had even called her twenty-eight times all of which he left messages until her inbox had grown too full that he was denied a recording.

After which he proceeded to again go through all of his friends seeing if she was with them, or they knew her whereabouts.

Finally after trailing through them one by one, and yet another abundance of pricks from Ishida's sowing needle, he found the answer he was looking for.

"Oh she went of to her tournament for the weekend, Semi-finals." Orihime piped cheerfully, glad that she could help. Ichigo sighed, why hadn't her martial arts crossed _his_ mind?

**O-x-x-x-x-O**

The building extended up into the night, the windows of the skyscraper drawing lights up and down. Ichigo analysed the building for a second, running his eyes up and down it, _Was she here? Was she up there?_

There were so many possibilities, all he could do now was pray that she had a room with a view; because frankly, the prospect of exerting more energy to break into the interior of a skyscraper was just not on his list of priorities.

He groaned as the persuading thoughts from Hichigo went through his head, '_Drastic times, drastic measures.'_

He very subtlety retaliated. '_SHUT UP, SHUT UP!'_

Scanning the area for a place to get a view of multiple rooms he was finally satisfied by the prospect of a nearby building, ranging in close size to the one he wanted. Perching nervously on the roof he waited until he finally found the room he as looking for. He would bet his life that it was her room. She wasn't in it, but what was that to stop him?

Leaping from one building to the other he clung tightly to the edge of the windowsill trying to not look down. Repeating that the rules of gravity would be lenient on him should he happen to fall, Ichigo tried his very hardest to avoid the feeling of his body swaying at a six-story level. Sparing a quick glance down he reprimanded himself for letting very graphic images of him falling raise up into the front of his mind.

Breathe in, breathe out.

He gripped more tightly on the hilt of Zangetsu and clutched his hand harder around the concrete edges of the window. Slowly he reached his sword filled hand over to the side of the window and tried to pry it open. Somehow he couldn't comprehend what it was with people and locking there windows.

Grunting he smashed Zangestsu against the glass with the tip and sent himself flying into the room, tumbling over the floor, and eventually crashing into the table. Feeling only slightpride in his accomplished entry he didn't even notice Tatsuki standing over him, arms crossed and eyes glaring.

"Ichigo. Do you mind if I ask what the_ HELL_ you are doing in my six-stories high _HOTEL ROOM?!"_

He winced at the sound of her cracking her knuckles, he could already feel the pain…

"Ugh, hi."

He was promptly thrown from a six-stories high broken window.

A smashed table falling dangerously close behind him.

It was around half way through his plummet back to earth that he realized that he had actually committed a crime in breaking and entering, and that one of his supposed best friends had thrown him out of a building. Apparently his well-being had no constitution in Tatsuki's immediate response to just throw him out a window.

Landing on the ground in a much more subtle position that he though was within his capabilities he hastily stormed back into the building, marching himself directly into the unused elevator. Throwing open the door to her room he found her leaning her head out the window whistling,

"Wow, that was fast." He balked at her sentence, his mouth gaping widely.

"YOU THINK THROWING PEOPLE OUT OF A BUILDINGS FUNNY?!"

She shrugged offhandedly, her tone even and relaxed, "Not particularly, but you are the one who stocked me to my hotel than _broke through my window_."

"Well maybe if you answered your phone or left a note in your apartment, this never would've happened?!"

"Are you saying that you committing a crime is my fault because I didn't leave a note saying I was leaving in my _locked_ apartment where I live _alone?"_

"Well… what about your phone!?"

"What exactly does my phone have to do with this?"

"I though you were _dead!"_

"You thought I was… dead? How does the phone connect to this?"

"THE LIVING ANSWER THEIR PHONES!"

She gave him a sceptical look, arching an eyebrow and grinning before replying flatly,

"Idiot."

Aggravated and embarrassed Ichigo resumed his pattern of going through the window, only to remember just how high he was mid-fall.

All that was left was a very puzzled Tatsuki, a broken window and the absence of a splintered table.

She could only wonder how she was going to explain this to the manager.

**O-x-x-x-x-O**

Ichigo continued his search up until sunset and until he was thoroughly convinced that one of his friends hadn't mysteriously and spontaneously died, combusted, disappeared or all of the above- which, in Ichigo's mind, contained a great many things.

Finally persuading himself that it must have been a fluke and that he was going to pummel every single person involved to make up for his anxiety, Ichigo decided while he was here, he might as well take care of some business with Karin and work things out. The last he saw her their situation between each other had been left on shaky ground, uneven and scarred.

Fishing through his pocket he pulled out a phone and began to fumble across the plastic buttons, dialling home.

"Hello?" At first the tone was wavering on the word, seeming to be filled with worry.

"Hey Yuzu it's me, Ichigo."

"Ichi-nii?" Her voice changed to a surprised one.

"Yeah. I just though I'd drop by, you know because of the Karin thing." Then, went up an octave.

"Karin? Oh! So that's it! Okay then well I guess I'll see you two soon!"

"Kay, see ya."

"Bye, Ichi-nii!"

Closing his phone with a click Ichigo began to walk his way home, not even noticing the "two" in Yuzu sentence, passing it off without a sparing thought.

**O-x-x-x-x-O**

Rapping loudly on the door Ichigo was finally answered by a gentle face, but she looked like she had bags under her eyes, was she stressed…?

"Ichi-nii! Thank goodness! Karin…"

"Yeah, sorry about that. So where-" But he was abruptly cut off by a kicked hurtled at his face, a very angry father on the other end of it.

"You _delinquent_! Where have you taken my daughter?!" Ichigo rubbed the bridge of his nose where the kick had landed and squinted out of one eye,

"What the hell are you talking about goat-face?" Isshin leaned over his son -who was still on the ground from being pushed over by the attack- and pointed an accusing finger at his face, waving it wildly.

"Where is my Karin?! You _fiend_ what did you do with her?!" Ichigo took his hand off his face wearily and furrowed his brow together,

"How should I know?"

"What?"

Both men looked over Isshin's shoulder to the supplier of the weak voice. " You mean Karin isn't with you?"

"No. Why would she be?" He watched his younger sister gulp and start to intake sharp deep breaths.

"B-but you said 'the Karin thing'. Doesn't that mean she's with you?"

"Why? Where is she?" He realized his contradiction, if they knew they would've of asked.

"She hasn't shown up since she left this morning." Isshin was unusually serious, a sign to both children that this was not a matter to be taken lightly.

"Waddya mean? That's not like her."

Yuzu was welling tears at this point; they bubbled up in her eyes and dangerously spilled over her cheeks, flowing lines of water down her face.

"Karin would never, neverdo this on purpose. She knows it'd scare me! Something must've happened to her!"

Ichigo's eyes grew wider and wider until they were at the same extent of his little sisters.

"No."

Then he went barrelling out the door, his human form laying prone by Yuzu and Isshin, himself already half way to Urahara's_.

* * *

_

_**A/N: **W-O-W. Long chappie huh? Guess what from now on I'm going to try and make them all long! To do that I will update less often!Yes I am perfectly aware that I will be pelted with tomatoes for saying that, but come on, they (tomatoes) really don't appreciate it. Next time you decide to pelt someone with something think twice, karma's got a thing against tomato abuse. Just something to think about._

_Has anyone else noticed a problem I seem to be having? The chapters start of relatively happy, dashes of humor thrown in here and there and by the end the whole things an angst parade. Re-read my chapters, I don't make this stuff up._

_If I get one more review on this story i will officially reached my goal of **FIVE REVIEWS! **That's a story record breaker for me. (All you people out there with insane review numbers, yes five does seem pretty big to me.) **REVIEW!!!!!!!**_


	5. It couldn't be possible

**A/N: **_Okay i'lldo this quick. Thank you to all of my reviewers, especially Selene98 who gavethe huge review full of helpful critics. (I told you I don't mind critics!) One in particular, the excessive use of Ichigo even though this is a hitsukarin. You'll have to put up with a little more of that (sorry) but **read my bottom note, it'll explain everything**._

**_REVIEW!!!!!!!!_**

_Disclaimer: If only, if only._

**_

* * *

_**

**_O-x-x-x-x-O Chapter 5: It couldn't be possible_**

Time Skip: Seven years later.

Seven years ago Ichigo Kurosaki got into a fight with his younger sister.

Seven years ago Karin Kurosaki met Grimmjow Jeagerjaques.

Seven years ago Ichigo Kurosaki was afraid for the death of one of his closest _friends._

Seven years ago Karin Kurosaki disappeared.

Ichigo had gone to every length to track down his sister. He revealed Soul Society and the connection to Karin's disappearance to his younger sister and father- only to find the great expansion of knowledge Isshin already had. He became a captain of the Gotei Thirteen (ironically the fifth) so in the situation that any information arose, he would be the first to know. He placed a large amount of his time into the Research and Development Department, until he handed it off to the actual captain- Kurotsuchi-Taichou- five years later.

He watched his father join him in the captain ranks and rekindle friendships with some of the older taichous who used to know him. He watched as his sister went through the academy one day at a time, until she too became a ranking officer with a third seat position. He watched the world move with himself still glued tightly to the last day he saw her, always inflected by regrets.

Moving forward, but with a past to carry.

O-x-x-x-x-O

Heaving out a large sigh he stocked the papers down on his desk, "Ahhhh, why is there so much paperwork?!"

His vice-captain - Hinamori Momo- raised her head up form her own desk and smiled sweetly at him, "It comes with the job Taichou." She watched as he closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose, "Maybe you should go get some sleep or something, you look dead tired. Don't worry I'll take over for the day, take the day off."

He grinned lopsidedly and replied, "My vice-captains giving _me_ permission to take the day off? Is it that obvious I need sleep?" Hinamori nodded enthusiastically, he may be tired but she wasn't.

"I also heard Yuzu was looking for you. There are some people you should never keep waiting, your sister happens to be one of them."

"Alright. Well, see ya." He pushed himself up off his chair and trudged to the door while waving.

"Bye Taichou."

O-x-x-x-x-O

Groggily making his way through the crowed hallways lined with officers scurrying with stacks of paper and attempting to bow with them when they got glimpse of him, Ichigowalked slowly in a daze. At first he didn't even notice as he passed the door to his fathers division, that is until his father flounced out of the office and gave him a round house kick.

"Hey!" Isshin blinked once, twice.

"You didn't even_ try_ to stop me."

"I'm tired. You know, paperwork? Something you don't do and instead force upon your vice captain. Remember?"

Isshin brightened up, "Of course! Kira, how reliable he is!"

Ichigo grumbled, "More like suicidal for putting up with you."

Another kick.

"What? I didn't catch that." Ichigo was on the floor in a face-plant now, his arm rubbing against his back. Half asleep he idly wondered how that would defiantly hurt when he regained consciousness, than again the floor was pretty comfortable…

"Nothing."

Standing up and following his father into his office Ichigo collapsed onto the couch as Isshin continued to speak, "So what's my delinquent son been up to now?"

Ichigo responded with his eyes closed, finding it too be far too exhausting to try and keep pace with his father, "Yuzu was looking for me, is she here?" Isshin looked to his son questionably,

"She's not my vice-captain."

"It's her day off, I thought she was here."

The grown man sniffled once. Then again, and again, and again, until be broke out into a full out sob. Dashing to a very large and exuberant picture of his wife Isshin bellowed and wailed, "Oh Masaki, what shall I do?! Our daughter is neglecting meeee!!!!!!!!" Turning around and sprinting in another mad dash to the other side of the room he went to an equally flourished picture. "Karin, tell your sister to love me again!!!!!"

Ichigo watched the maddening display with a single eye open. Although his focus was more of the picture his father was now cooing over more than the scene itself. Stealing a glance of the extreme picture Isshin proudly hung was always a challenge, to be truthful any picture of her usually had the same effect.

Even so, he always kept a picture of her and himself together on the soccer field - her grinning madly with dishevelled and windswept hair, himself with a trademark lopsided smirk- on his desk. She may not be able to be beside him physically, but Ichigo wanted to make sure she was always on his mind.

"Karin…"

"Hn?"

"Huh? Oh it's nothing. I guess if you don't know where she is I'll go look for her in the fourth." He lazily stood and walked to the door,

"Ichigo?" Ichigo turned and saw a rare but sympathetic smile form his father, "Get some sleep."

Without another word spoken Ichigo walked out of the office to Unohana's division, thoughts of Karin still mulling around in his brain.

O-x-x-x-x-O

Figuring that it would most likely be the polite thing to do for a change Ichigo knocked before entering the Fourth division.

"Hey, Unohana?" The woman turned to face him, her long black braid gently flowing with her movements. She smiled sweetly while tilting her head to the side and Ichigo felt a tinge of fear run through his spine.

"I believe it's Unohana- _Taichou._ Even to another Taichou you should always address us with our titles. It's _respect."_ He chuckled nervously as he swore he saw dark flames engulf her figure, radiating fear in every direction.

"Ugh, is something wrong?"

She replied calmly, "Of course not. It's just been quite a busy day here in the division. But don't worry yourself I have the utmost confidence that things will calm down here _very quickly_. Am I right?" Four of her officers nodded and slowly backed away slowly from the sweetly-seething woman.

"Yeah… Anyway I was wondering if Yuzu was here?"

"Yuzu? No, today is her day off. If my memory serves me right though I believe she was last looking for you Ichigo- Taichou."

After the appearance of not two but three Kurosaki's to join the ranks of the Gotei Thirteen most people simply referred to them as their first name and title (or just their first names) or else having three Kurosaki's, two with the name rank and therefore title, would be far too confusing.

"Oh, well thanks than, I keep looking." Unohana caught him before he could leave with a piece of advice,

"I suggest you hurry, Yuzu is not one you should upset."

Lately Yuzu had been taking after certain 'traits' from her Taichou, so that although she was sunshine and peace, it would be spelling your death before you to get her mad. Nothing is pure to the core, and Yuzu had a point of involuntarily proving it. This characteristic made her a drastic turn off or a hit-on for most of the men in the divisions, either way Ichigo did not appreciate it.

"I keep hearing that. Thanks Unohana!" Then he rushed out of the door before Unohana even got the opportunity to correct him. Turning to one of her subordinates she said pleasantly,

"Remind me to be stingy on the morphine for his next operation."

He backed away very slowly from the very angry woman with a very dark smile.

O-x-x-x-x-O

Eventually Ichigo did find Yuzu roaming about the corridors and -after a few comments about how lack of sleep isn't healthy- informed him that the Sou-Taichou was looking for him and Hitsugaya.

And yet no matter how many times or the various ways he retold himself her explanation he still couldn't shake the feeling that sitting in front of the First Divisions Captain and beside a tense white haired Taichou (that had _very _smugly grown to a height to surpass himself) was not something he wanted to do.

"Ichigo- Taichou, Hitsugaya-Taichou, I have a very important mission for you both."

They both wished they could roll their eyes at the sheer obviousness.

"The research and Development Center has picked up signs of unusual reiatsu signatures in Hueco Mundo."

Hitsugayastretched up in his seat and gave him a questioning look, "I thought there were no trackers located in Hueco Mundo."

"According to previous dates recorded of our tracking units, there shouldn't be. Somehow we have infiltrated ourselves into Hueco Mundo and our now picking up on one of the arrancars reiatsu. I am instructing you both to go and find the source."

"What should we do when we've found it?" Ichigo asked. Yamamoto narrowed his eyes,

"Destroy it. The transmitting signals mean that as long as we can track them, there is the possibility of it rebounding and creating an opening for Aizen, we can't let that happen." Ichigo and Hitsugaya spared a glance at each other; neither seemed particularly up for the challenge, least of all working together.

"Excuse me, but, why us? There are other people more qualified for this particular mission" Hitsugaya asked.

"One thing we were able to learn is that the reiatsu traced was along the lines of a fire base which is why you were selected Hitsugaya-Taichou, and Ichigo because he seems to be the Taichou at the current time with the least amount of work to do."

Ichigo grunted and rubbed his weary eyes for extra effect only to look over his shoulder to see Hitsugaya with the same if not worse, appearance.

Was Yamamoto purposely working them all to death?

Hitsugaya was first to stand up, "Very well then we should make preparations to head out, I'm assuming we are to leave later today?"

"Sharp as always, yes you are to leave immediately with your fukataichous."

Hitsugaya looked at Ichigo

Ichigo looked at Hitsugaya.

Then they both simultaneously looked at Yamamoto and chorused the same words, "But Hinamori…" Yamamoto nodded once,

"Yes I see the problem. Ichigo- Taichou you will not bring Hinamori-fukataichou with you, for this particular mission she is too… _fragile._ We don't want her doing anything rash. Instead you may bring along someone else."

"How about Rukia?"

"Yes Kuchiki does seem quite appropriate for this. Gather up quickly, you are to go as soon as you have acquired your teammates." Both Ichigo and Hitsugaya bowed once before promptly leaving the room.

"Hinamori's too _fragile_? What does he think she is?" Hitsugaya replied calmly,

"Just let it go, there's nothing you can do about it."

"You're her friend, shouldn't you care?!"

"Of course _I_ care, but she knows just as well as he does that she can't do this. Tell her, she'll understand and say the same things as me." Ichigo grumbled,

"Whatever let's just get out of here."

Hitsugaya agreed, somehow he couldn't shake the feeling that today wasn't going to be a good day…

O-x-x-x-x-O

Completing the supposed simple task of rounding up the two woman seemed to be a challenge into and of itself.

Firstly, there was the problem of the particular absence of a certain fukataichou and a crate of sake bottles -there was no doubt in either mans mind that the two would be together- and the missing Rukia who by a stroke of luck happened to be with Matsumoto.

Sometimes there is luck in this world, but mostly it's just irony disguised as luck.

It happened to be that it proved more difficult to find them when they were together than if they were all apart and doing something none work related. Moreover it needs no explanation to know that the so called 'acquirement' of them took to around the evening, which by then they had drunk themselves into a stupor by which neither man could shake them out of.

Needless to say they both just decided to leave them behind and set off alone.

Because of this set back by the time they entered Hueco Mundo it was already nightfall.

It was already the favourite time for a chain locked girl to have her daily dose of freedom.

O-x-x-x-x-O

Karin strolled quietly across the outskirts of Hueco Mundo, her feet pounding lightly against the sand and creating footprints. She often found herself attracted to this place, the desolate land, the open expanse of space free of people and rules. It was just a desert, nothing more, and nothing less.

So every night -like clockwork- she would pry open the window in her room and sneak pass the guards to the 'outside'.

It reminded her that no matter how confused she got there was always an empty mass of sand waiting right outside her corridor, dying to have footprints left in it.

Strangely she would reminisce over it, how one night she would walk miles across it and by the next day, the footsteps would have disappeared, washed away by the wind. Sometimes she would collect items from inside and bring them out to stick them in the sand; these would be the only things remaining the next day. There would be a pile of objects of no particular value and surrounding them, nothingness.

Quite like herself she added absentmindedly.

Ever since that day six years ago when she had appeared before Aizen without even a single memory to spare, her memories as blank as the expanse she was looking at.

A mind wiped clean she often wondered why a man like himself would take her in so easily. He let her to be taught under the secure eye of Helibel -being an arrancar herself she found it easier to relate than being instructed by Gin or Tousen- and learn how to wield a sword, fight, strategize and so on.

But somehow, even though there was nothing to connect it with Karin always had the nagging feeling she already knew everything. She would repeat her trainings with an fluency that made her feel as if it was natural, like she already knew everything.

She ran a finger across the edge of her bone mask. It covered the top left of her forehead, reaching up and sending strands of bone into the air, _kind of like a flame_, she always thought- with one of the licks of flame draping across the one side of her face.

Then she looked down to the rest of herself, the arrancar uniform she wore consisted of a white and black attire, the top long sleeved and clasping against her hand to the front of her knuckles, with the bottom reaching to the middle of her stomach. The pants draped from her waistline to her ankles with a skirt over layering it on the side, all held together by a black sash supporting her sword, Shirohouou.

Her fire based zanpakutou-rightfully named 'white phoenix'- was a long sword with a pure white hilt and a design of red spirals. It was her only possession -save her immovable bone mask- that she had when she was first brought before Aizen.

It was all she had of her identity at the time, and she had been doing everything possible to try and scrounge up as much of it as she could.

Karin constantly talked to her zanpakutou, finding to possibly one of the only friends she had. Shirohouou -although labelled a phoenix- actually took form of a human with wild red, unruly hair, full cherry red lips, but ominously pale skin and mischievous eyes to match.

She always coded herself in a flowing white garment, strangely royal in offset to her messed hair and firecracker behaviour. Most of her extra time was spent conversing with Shirohouou about her powers, and most importantly trying to reconnect with whoever she used to be.

So far, a pitiful zero.

Karin sighed loudly and continued to walk, mulling around in her thoughts like she always did when she was bored. She kicked at the sand sending the corroded stones flying up into the air one wave at a time.

Eventually Karin decided to stop and rest, so after rocking slightly on the balls of her heels fell backwards onto the sand and spread her arms out as she intook a large breath. The best thing about her walks were always the sharp intakes of the refreshing and clean air.

Just as she was finally rolling into sleep on the sandy plains a joint ran through her body, comically spreading her eyes wide she bolted to her feet.

Someone was here.

No one was welcome.

O-x-x-x-x-O

"Kurosaki." Hitsugaya seethed out, "Where on earth did you open the shikai door to!?"

Ichigo scratched his head innocently and made a gesture to his left, "Ugh, I'm _pretty_ sure that Hueco Mundo's that way?"

"For the love of Kami, why didn't I do this?" Ichigo looked taken back,

"Hey, I'm just as much of a captain as you are, _shorty_!" Hitsugaya balled his fists and yelled in Ichigo's face, "I'm _TALLER_ than you!"

It was true.

There was a silence before Hitsugaya rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed, "Let's just get walking, we won't get anywhere arguing like this."

Ichigo nodded silently in agreement, just because it was true didn't mean he had to enjoy it. Ironic how Hitsugaya was thinking the exact same thing.

After hours of walking Hitsugaya outstretched his arm and blocked Ichigo's path.

"Hey what do you think your-"

"Can't you tell?"

"Huh?"

"Were not making any progress."

"Duh, Hueco Mundo's all the way over there and were still all the way over here of course we've barely-" Hitsugaya cut him off again.

"I mean we haven't made _any_ progress."

"Do you always have to cut me off?" Hitsugaya rolled his eyes, and grumbled.

"Aizen must have done something, we're just going in a loop, someone must've noticed our presence by now."

Ichigo looked at Hitsugaya and narrowed his eyes, "Which means were in for a fight."

They heard a stomp behind them and turned around to see an arrancar draped in white, sword already drawn and grey eyes glaring down at them angrily.

"Damn right."

That was all it took before she shunpoed down to them, sword flung harshly in the air with her ebony locks flying with her movements. Right before the collision though, both Hitsugaya and Ichigo had jumped away leaving only a massive crater in their place.

She quickly stood up and redirected her body to face Hitsugaya, her zanpakutou pointing dangerously in aim for his chest. She yelled out as she dashed towards him, "Cero, Shirohouou!"

A red blast shot out from the tip of the blade, small streaks of fire chasing behind it. Hitsugaya dodged them with ease an appeared behind her,

"Cero huh?"

She spun around in surprise to his voice. She glared, surely her six years of training with Halibel could level her up to this, this _boy_ who looked no older than herself. She let out a battle cry and shunpoed to face his back, letting out a cero at close range and -hopefully- his demise. He yet again dodged,

"Can't you fight, coward!"

Soon Ichigo appeared, brandishing Zangetsu and aiming for Karin. She spun just in time to see his attack and parry his attack with her sword.

"Cero level two! Shirohouou!" She began to release ceros of a higher calibre, faster, larger, deadlier.

"Sit upon the frozen heavens, Hyourinmaru!"

It continued in a trance from there, it would be retaliations from both sides, but the main war was between the arrancar girl and Hitsugaya. It was a fight of opposites, her flaming torrent of ceros against his billowing ice.

"Kurosaki, we don't have time for this I'll deal with her, go on ahead and find the tracker!"

He saw Ichigo scurry to pull out the device they had been given to, well, track the tracker, but was quickly interrupted by the flaming sword coming down inches by his face,

"You dare to ignore me in a fight?!"

He retaliated to her attack, leaping into the air and swinging down his zanpakutou down to her, and she would repeat one of the moves she had been using relentlessly in a trail of consistency. A dangerous idea to follow a pattern in battle. Anticipating where her next blow would bed aimed he darted up into the air where he once stood, where he would bet she would again show up in.

Instead he came face to face with a smirk as her sword plunged into his stomach, too close he though as he backed away to come out with only a scratch and a line of blood.

_"What should we do when we've found it?" Yamamoto narrowed his eyes._

"Hitsugaya, it her! She's the tracker!"

_"Destroy it."_

Karin looked frazzled and confused, what where they talking about? She shook her head a pulled a resolve quickly, _'It won't matter once there dead.'_

She fumbled in her steps to jump, why was she loosing focus, why was her head going fuzzy…?

It hurt. Something hurt.

Badly.

She dropped her head to see the wound on her side, leaking and streaming out blood. She though faintly, '_When..?'_ She shook her head roughly, this was no time to think about that, Aizen would surely heal her later, for now all that mattered was their deaths.

Too caught up in her jumbled thoughts she barely noticed the encroaching Hitsugaya until it was too late and she was thrown backwards, colliding straight into Ichigo. They both fell to the ground and Ichigo stood up first and hollered,

"Hey, Hitsugaya!"

"Finish her Kurosaki!"

_Destroy it_

Karin's eyes were blurred now all she could see was his outline and his arm hoisting up his sword. Right before coming down on impact though she felt him tense and stop, seizing the opportunity for all it's worth she hurled her fist up into his face with all the force she could muster and sent him spiralling up.

She quickly picked herself up and just as she was about to charge and attack the white haired boy again she found herself pounded by a blow of ice,

_"Hitsugaya!"_

_Destroy it_

The boy -apparently named Hitsugaya- walked close to her ready to deliver his final attack that would end her life as far as it's six years worth,

_"Hitsugaya!"_

_Destroy it_

The sword was raised,

_"HITSUGAYA!" _

_Destroy it_

She could make out the blade of ice,

_"HITSUGAYA DAMN IT STOP!!"_

The blade stopped short of her chest. Ichigo shunpoed over as fast as he could manage and kicked Hyourinmaru out from Hitsugaya's hands, and stood in front of Karin's body.

"Kurosaki, what on earth are you doing?!"

Ichigo panted and heaved, gulped once and spoke his next words with such strain that I was as if he had the wind knocked out of him,

"Don't touch her. She- she's," He took another glance at the now unconscious figure by his feet,

"She's Karin."

_

* * *

_

_**A/N: **I'm sorry I just love cliffhangers._

**_To clear things up:_**

_**1.**Yes Karin was taken in by Aizen **six**years ago. (to all her knowledge) Not the seven that she disappeared for._

_**2.**For last chapter I had some people wonder why Ichigo was the main instead of Hitsugaya (him being the love interest and all) well it's because I'm going by the manga in this aspect and saying that he's never met her let alone know who she is (yet.)_

_**3.**"Well you used him alot last chapter, **why the heck did you do it again?!" **Simple. By the time I realized my excessive use of Ichigo I had already written the beginning of this one, and I didn't have the time to change it. (See #5)_

_**4.**To all of my limited knowing I was forced to trust the Internet for the translations of "white phoenix" into Shirohouou. If I'm wrong please tell me, but I won't be changing it._

_**5.**If you also don't believe I've lived up to standards with this chapter them that's fine because I personally don't. It was somewhat on the rushed side because I'm going away this weekend, then somewhere else for the week, and the week after that I'm starting highschool. Scary huh? So after this one updates won't be coming fast I've got school to deal with. Yay grade nine. (you can just see how thrilled I am can't you?)_

_**6.** If you have any more questions ask. I'll try and get back to you as soon as I can, but if I don't...(see #5, again)_


	6. Trusting an Assassin

**  
****A/N: **_Here it is! I hope you really like it, plus please read my ending note for exciting news and info on the length of time between updates. REVIEW! (I'm going for a goal of close to twenty, if I actually got twenty I would be SO HAPPY!)  
_**  
Disclaimer: **_As so many more before me have pointed out, if I owned Bleach would I really be writing this?  
_

**

* * *

  
****O-x-x-x-x-O** **Chapter 6: Trusting an Assassin **

_It wasn't supposed to happen like this. God knows it all went wrong._

__

I should've gone for backup.

I should've told Aizen about the intruders.

I should've noticed the captain's hiori's.

I should've killed them.

_Now where am I?_

Karin shed open one eye, cautious, _my surroundings are unknown, follow procedure. Firstly, discover your location. _

Karin lifted myself up, leaning her arms against the cushioned bed for support. The room was bland. It was pure white with little furnishings. A desk, some type of medical equipment, a small room leading to a bathroom, and a window, no doubt coded in reiatsu to prevent escape.

The window!

Karin hurried to the window and looked outside, there were no more dusty plains enveloping my vision but instead a sunny blue sky and a horizon speckled by houses and manors. The grass was _green_ here, the houses _well kept_, everything spotlessly _clean,_ what was this horrible picturesque place?!

Karin leaned back and sat on her bed, '_It all looks so fake.'_ It hit her, maybe it really was fake. I the only place she had ever seen were the expanses of a barren sand plain, and confined white walls that -she couldn't help but notice the comparison- were so much like the ones she was in now.

She heard a knock at the door and reached down for her zanpakutou, but to no avail. She had been stripped of her sword and arrancar clothes, now wearing a black robe of some-sort and without her weapon.

Out of her shock she forgot that someone was entering her room. She jolted her head up quickly and there he was, standing calmly before her as if it was the most normal thing in the world. The same boy who she had fought, how long ago was it now?

Nevertheless there he stood in his captain's hiori and, of course, _he_ had his zanpakutou.  
Karin glared at him, _I'm going to make this guys life hell if I don't kill him first. _

_There was an idea _she smugly added.

He made his way over to her, cocking his head to the side and peering his eyes. "You do fit the description and picture with an uncanny resemblance don't you?"

Karin raised her fists and grounded her feet, embodying the fighting stance.

"I'm not afraid of you."

"I don't believe I ever asked if you where." Karin grimaced, _above all the rest he's a smart-ass too._

"Well then let's just clear that up." Karin charged towards him, paying no regard to his stoic composure despite the situation.

"Ahhhh!" Karin toppled to the ground in an instant her hands unconsciously grasping for her neck. She felt a piece of metal circling her neck, a string, no she though angrily, a _collar._

She squinted one eye open as she slightly lifted up her head and growled at the figure standing over her,

"What the hell is this?!"

Hitsugaya sighed and frowned, "It would be unwise to attack me, or else that collar your wearing will make things," He grasped for a word, "Unpleasant."

"Why can't I move?!"

Hitsugaya bent down onto his knee, "It's a paralysis collar tuned specifically to my reitsu signature; in essence you try to attack me, and then get momentarily paralyzed. It's wasn't as severe as Mayuri wanted it but it seems to justify the purpose fine."

Karin grumbled under her breath as she dropped her head back to the floor and sighed,

"Uptight asshole."

Hitsugaya shrugged, "I've been called worse."

"Why are you here?"

"I've been assigned to watch over you and evaluate your… progress."

"I'm just another lab rat then huh? Szayel was like that to, always prodding." She tilted her head to her face was to his and grinned, "Guess what though, you've already lost. There is absolutely nothing to gain from me. You want to know about Hueco Mundo right? Well lets make a trade, you get me out of this forsaken white building and give me back Shirohouou and I'll say whatever the hell you want."

Hitsugaya peered his eyes, not entirely sure how to answer,

"No promises."

He began to head to the door as she felt her body limber up and regain feeling. She sat up cautiously, careful to not move to fast and fall back down.

"I won't be controlled."

He opened the door and stepped out, "You don't seem like that type." Then the door shut behind him with a small creak.

_To not be controlled is to overwhelm your oppressor in every aspect._

**O-x-x-x-x-O**

_One week earlier_

__

Hitsugaya sat nervously beside an antsy Ichigo Kurosaki, who's younger sister (Yuzu) hadn't yet been briefed on the situation at hand, unlike every other captain seated in the room.

"We can't keep her in there! That's my little sister your caging up like an animal!"

The Soutaichou spoke evenly, appearing as if the whole matter unfazed him or didn't even concerned himself in the slightest. "It is the only solution. She is unstable and has no recollection of her past, she would very well kill even you Ichigo-Taichou on sight if given the chance."

"I don't care! I can talk to her, she'll remember if me and Yuzu, and Dad…"

Isshin spoke form the sidelines, "At the very least let Yuzu talk to her, they're twins, if anyone could do it, it would be her!"

Yamamoto unwavering, "My decision is final, she will stay there until such notice with only Unohana-Taichou make visits to her to inspect her progress with memory recuperation, possibly in time to trigger a response Third seat Yuzu Kurosaki could be sent to make a visit to her."

"But she's already seen me!" Ichigo yelled, "Wouldn't it be better if someone she already has come in contact with is the one to talk to her?! Let me see her!"

Unohana voiced her opinion lightly, "It would provide less stress on her mind for her to be reacquainted with someone she has already seen, that is until such time as we can figure out the state of her memories, be they repressed or erased."

Isshin spoke directly to Unohana his voice laced with a desperation for nonexistent hope, "There's a possibility of them being completely erased?"

"Unfortunately at this time we can't rule anything out; until she becomes conscious again, I don't want to risk the chance that I'll damage her mind by trying to find memories that are being tightly hidden, they will come slowly if they are there at all. Nevertheless please, Soutaichou let it be someone she's already familiar with."

Yamamoto considered this, "Very well then. Hitsugaya-taichou you are being assigned the task of watching over her."

Hitsugaya balked, "Excuse me?"

"You fit every requirement. She has seen you before- even come in close range contact- you are close to her age, have a zanpakutou that is the opposite of her own in the case of her retaining her zanpakutou, and will not do anything rash being close to unbiased in this situation."

Hitsugaya just stared, how on earth did he always get himself in this position?

"B-but Yamamoto- Soutaichou I have far to much paperwork from my previous mission to the human world, there is no time for me to do such a thing…"

"Hitsugaya-taichou the next appropriate candidate would be Mayuri-Taichou, and with that position gives him the right to examine her progress, by any means."

Hitsugaya turned and glanced at Ichigo then at Isshin, both plainly resistant to either option although obviously did not wish for Mayuri to be the one.

He glanced at the ground, with slumped shoulders "Very well. But how can I guarantee that she won't attack me? If she does I'll have no choice but to fight back."

"It has already been taken care of, her sword has been removed from her and we have installed an extra security measure that you will be told about in private later."

Hitsugaya nodded solemnly.

As he sat up Unohana came up to him privately and spoke in hushed tones, "Be careful Hitsugaya-taichou, don't get to involved with this girl, she is an arrancar and as far as we know still among the living, it would only cause you trouble to get too close." With that she smiled and left.

Brushing off Unohana's warning Histugaya decided that he just need to find a place away from this room and it all as fast as possible. On his rushed way out he felt someone brush past his shoulder and hush something into his ear that he would remember throughout the course of being with her.

"You had damn better take care of her."

He wasn't exactly sure if it was his choice anymore.

**O-x-x-x-x-O**

Under the grounds that it might involve herself Hitsugaya was granted permission to relay Matsumoto of all that happened, and her new task personally assigned by Yamamoto Taichou to take over any paperwork while he was away with his new task.

She promptly broke out laughing at that.

"Me?! Paperwork?! Taichou there is _no_ way…"

"I'm well aware of that. That's why I also asked for extensions on dates for our divisions papers to be handed in. I'm going to have to balance doing both."

Matsumoto smiled and leaned closer "So…?"

Hitsugaya was confused, "So?"

"What's she like?! Does she look like Yuzu?"

"I don't know, the only time I've met her was when she had her sword pointed at my face."

"You probably weren't very nice to her."

"_She _was trying to kill _me!"_

"Details."

Hitsugaya sighed, there was no winning with this woman…

"Listen I'm going to see her for the third time today so your going to have the paperwork, try to do _something_ progressive, okay?"

"You've seen her _again!?_ And didn't tell me right away?!"

"It was no big deal."

"Did she try to hurt you again?"

"She didn't even have a sword, not to mention the paralysis collar got to her before she got to me."

"Oh yeah the collar thing, so like every time she makes a move that's aggressive or anything she'll get paralyzed?"

"Basically."

"You must think that's pretty kinky, huh?"

They stood in silence, letting the awkwardness of the moment set in before Hitsugaya coughed and tried to continue.

"…Anyway, I have to meet her again and I have absolutely no idea what to do, she won't even speak to me unless I give her enough freedom to roam out of that blasted room and give her back her sword."

Matsumoto shrugged, "Maybe you just have to gain her trust."

Hitsugaya was surprised at her slightly mature answer, "Matsumoto are you… sober?"

Rangiku laughed "Of course!"

Hitsugaya's eyes grew wide as he carefully stepped away from the woman in front of him, one hand resting cautiously on the hilt of his sword, "Who are you and what have you done to my fukataichou?!"

Matsumoto's shoulders sloped as she dropped to the couch, "It's Nanao fukataichou. She's concerned for her captain so she dug up every storage, every secret place, _every single bottle, _and won't let _any_ of us go into bars!!!!" She grasped Histugaya's shoulders and shook them violently, "Look at me! I haven't been drunk in _ONE WHOLE WEEK!"_

He awkwardly patted her shoulder as she cried dramatically on his, "Ummmm, there there?"

She sniffed and gulped back her cries as she wiped away tears, "Anyway, just, be nice Taichou. You'd be surprised."

Hitsugaya incredulously looked at her, "Only because your sober…"

**O-x-x-x-x-O**

Soon later Hitsugaya found himself in the division's library surrounded by books on almost every expanse of knowledge one could possible require being part of the Gotei Thirteen. In his one hand he held a large brown, dusty, unused book that seemed as if it hadn't been taken out in years. He read the title in his head as the rest of his mind was quickly pilling up the amount of things that could possibly go wrong with this plan.

_Gaining Trust: Ways to extend empathy in return for reliance._

As previously mentioned, long unused.

Largely doubting the creditability of the authors knowledge for dealing with killers, Hitsugaya decided he might as well take the book anyway, already unconsciously knowing that it was going to be a book viewed only in sparing glances.

Walking through the long halls to the exit, Hitsugya couldn't help but have his eye catch onto a particularly appealing title form one of the more used books._ How to deal with an assassin Part I._ Hitsugaya mused over the book before tentatively picking it up, thoughts full of one person and their admittedly annoying habit of having the urge to kill him. Snatching the book and tucking it securely beside his other more optimistic book, he hurried out of the library to the holding facility.

_Just in case._

**O-x-x-x-x-O**

Karin had spent the entirety of the day laying on her bed and staring up into a blank ceiling counting the plain white tiles. She was thoroughly bored out of her mind, with nothing to do, not even able to talk to her own Zanpakutou spirit who was undoubtedly sleeping somewhere in the quieter recesses in her mind, still linked to her sword.

Although by now she was pretty sure that she had actually accomplished the task of numbing her brain, so virtually everywhere would be quiet. Throwing an exasperated sigh she thought that nothing could ever improve when -all of a sudden- she heard footsteps coming by her door and jumped up, her matted chestnut hair flying onto her shoulders.

It wasn't often there were footsteps near her door, she guessed this was probably because she was the only occupied room in the corridor, maybe the only room at all. She didn't have to use her hearing to tell that she was probably kept top secret; people in Hueco Mundo didn't bode well with Soul Society people. Apparently it was a two way street.

Her thoughts were confirmed when the steps stopped right before her door, and the creaking of the door as she saw him enter again. Karin wasn't quite sure if she should attempt to strange his neck again for placing this cursed collar on her, or run to him and hug him to death for ending her solitude boredom Although the idea of killing him was more enticing than the latter option, she found it humiliating and sad that there was such a vivid image of her hugging him placed in her mind.

_Banish the thoughts, banish the thoughts._

"Hi."

Karin arched an eyebrow, "Why so casual?"

Hitsugaya shifted uncomfortably, "We got off on the wrong foot, twice to be precise because in both occasions they ended in you wanting to kill me… but that doesn't matter. What I'm trying to say is" He inhaled largely and exhaled, speaking in a calm tone, "Hello. I'm Hitsugaya Toushirou Captain of the tenth division and it seems I've been assigned to you as your, well as your babysitter."

Karin looked in awe, who or what on earth happened? With her mouth agape she stuttered "Excuse me?"

Hitsugaya rolled his eyes, if he didn't want to do this once… "Listen, last time you said you would tell me about Hueco Mundo if I took you out of this place and gave you your sword; under my protocol there is no way I'm getting you out of here under normal circumstances, but by pulling some strings I've managed to get you your sword."

He pull out Shirohouou from a sheath slung on his back and held it in front of him. Karin stepped forward and outstretch a hand slowly reaching for her other half, before he pulled it back to him. "But I need some answers first."

She glared, "Your baiting me."

He swung the sword in her face admiring it's shape edge and glowing red hilt, "It really is a magnificent sword, but if your more loyal to Aizen than you are attached to your zanpakutou spirit than this _will_ be your only chance."

Karin's face twisted into confusion, pulling the dilemma on both sides, before straightening and taking another step closer to him, standing tall and proud. "There is no reason for me to side with the man whose no more important to me than my void memories. My sword on the other hand, is more important, so I guess I could tell you something, _but_ only if I get my zanpakutou _here_ and _now_."

Hitsugaya mused over it for a second, "Alright. It seems I'll have to trust you."

Karin stood still for a moment before her eyes narrowed again, "Well what's to know?"

"Aizen. What do you know about him?"

"Well, he took me in about six years ago, so if your looking for information before that it seems you've captured the wrong arrancar. He didn't endeavour many of his plans in myself, I was more like his little toy that he kept hidden. I didn't get to go out much, so the people I saw the most would be, Aizen himself, Halibel, Tousen and Gin. My guess was that he never wanted me to be captured but from how your looking at me it seems he always had a backup plan, you don't seem interested in any of those names at all. Anyway, I would just _love_ to tell you more, but I don't think there's anything I can tell you about him that you guys don't already know."

Hitsugaya sighed, it still leaved so many empty spaces. "What do you mean you were allowed to leave much?"

"I was confined to a white plaster wall room with the only window leading to a huge desert. My life was just a blank slate with little scratches where he was, that's _it._ I trained with Helibel, got teased and practically harassed by Gin, scientifically tested by Szayel, lectured and composed by Tousen, and controlled by Aizen. Now," She faced her palm out, "give me back my sword."

He grimaced, "Alright, one more though."

Karin sighed, "Whaaat?????"

Hitsugaya looked down, "Whatever he told you, no matter how little trust you put in him, it will all be short lived if you ever knew the kind of man he really was."

He silently handed his sword to her and walked out of the door. Karin looked down and ran her hand across the metal, it was colder than before, especially the hilt where he once laid his hands. She stared at the reflection cast upon it and squeezed the handle.

No matter what she had said, Aizen was still the closest thing to family to her.

Her old family must have abandoned her.

They must've not cared.

Be dammed if she lost whatever family she could grasp again.

**O-x-x-x-x-O**

Hitsugaya walked away from the holding facility, it white walls slowly disappearing as his steps brought him further and further away. He was glad to be out of that room and away from her stories. He couldn't be sure if what she had told him was even true but somehow, looking into her eyes as she said them, he was convinced to a far enough extent. But there was a second look in those grey eyes, one that he had seen so often in Hinamori's.

No matter how cruel or he might have been to her, he knew she felt something for him.

Hitsugaya sighed, it was no use mulling around in these thoughts, they dragged him back to a place he never wanted to have to go to again.

What truthfully surprised him though was the unexpected accuracy of Matsumoto's advice. To think that a sober Matsumoto could produce such striking results was a new door that had yet to opened. A door that could lead to endless possibilities, all surrounding a more productive and insightful future. And Hitsugaya was more than eager to open such a glorious door.

He could see himself reaching out in glee, a rare smile presenting itself in bright form. Touching the doorknob, it's metal gleaming and radiating a warmth of knowledge. He slowly pryed it from the door frame, the light beginning to gleam from the edges until… he was brutally woken from his dream with the force of an earth quake.

The ground shook violently and Hitsugaya felt himself go stiff, _Oh Kami please tell me she didn't…_ He turned around slowly, dying to not see what he prayed was not there.

There in the stead of the holding facility was half of a white building, it's other half in debris and holes. Red flames engulfing the side of the building Hitsugaya could swear he felt his heart stop when he saw the researchers frantically retreating from the burning facility yelling "Prisoner Escape!".

Hitsugaya sighed and silently wallowing in sorrow shut the door that had now gone a rusty grey.

_Should've gone with Dealing with Assassins…_

**O-x-x-x-x-O**

Matsumoto walked to her office, shoulders slumped as her feet dragged across the wooden floor. It had been yet another sake-less day, brimming with disappointed as she and her fellow colleagues had spent the entire afternoon frantically searching for their sweet alcoholic poison, which -to their dismay- seemed to have been ridden of in it's entirety. Sighing with a large amount of dramatization Matsumoto turned the corner, only to have her eyes jutting out of her sockets for a sight long missed.

There was a sake bottle.

Harmless and innocent, the large bottle was perched conveniently by the front door to her office. She sprinted over to it, grasped it with both hands and ran her fingers over the sides checking to see if she was or wasn't going delusional from withdrawal.

No, it was real and better than that, there was a note attached signed to herself.

_Dear Matsumoto,_

__

If you get this than I assume you are rushing through this note as fast as your eyes can possibly manage so I'll make this as brief as possible. This is a sake bottle -personally retrieved from Nanao- that I now give to you out of the bottom of my heart with my deepest regards for the advice you gave me earlier on today.

I have you know, this is what you truly deserve.

_In all seriousness (and tallness), Hitsugaya-Taichou. _

She sped through the note and stood in silence for seconds. By some _extraordinary_ miracle Hitsugaya done something worthy of sainthood.

"HE'S A SAINT!!! A TRUE SAINT YOU HEAR ME!? SSSSSAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNNTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!"

Matsumoto greedily yanked the bottle to her, ripping off the top and madly flinging it into some unknown bystanders head as she pressed the bottle to her mouth and waited in agonizing milliseconds for her sweet, sweet sake to be returned to her.

But none came.

Eyes pressed open wide she looked into the empty bottle. Gripping the sides of the glass container until they shattered between her shaking fingers she bellowed out through large pouring tears,

"FUCKING BASTARD!!!!!!!!"

Somewhere in the world, Hitsugaya Toushiro was smiling.

* * *

**A/N: _Well there we go! I am so sorry that this chapter took so lllooonnnggg to update but I can tell you, the first couple weeks of highschool felt even longer than that. Yeah, really long, I'm still in my "summer mode" and am trudging through the homework that I've been getting loads of. IT'S ONLY GRADE NINE!!! Oh well. Oh, because I know many of you don't read my profile, or anyones for that matter, I have some good news... I'VE FINISHED SHAMAN KING! Yes be amazed, I certainly am. It was slightly cheesey but I love it anyway (just as much as I love the Yoh x Anna pairing) ALTHOUGH, I am **slight spoiler** majorly disappointed that in the epilogue Yoh has freakishly long hair, if it isn't obvious I am not a big fan of the hair. Not. At. All._**

**_Anyway have any questions about the story or anything of that sort (or simply want to ramble of Shaman King) please do not hesitate to tell me. And above all... _****REVIEW!!!!**


	7. Closing the Gap

**A/N: **_Wow huh? This chapter is even longer than the last one! Unfortunately my inspiration for this particular chapter was pretty limited, so the reason it's so long is because I kept telling myself I had to keep going until I found some part of this chapter that made the rest tolerable. That piece my friends, would be the very end. (sorry to people who were hoping that they only had to read up to the -in my opinion- good part)_

**__**

Anyway, last time I got some messages asking where the "Hitsukarin" was in this hitsukarin story. After some very deep breathing sessions and lowering the urge to send a very, ugh, "strongly worded" message back to them, I pulled myself back together and calmly replied that even if this is indeed a Hitsukarin story, the romance doesn't exactly have to be right away. I can't really see those two just spontaneously running into each others arms -seriously guys, it's not going to be instantaneous. But, I did feel this story was a little deprived, hence this chapter was born!

_ Disclaimer: Why must I do this every chapter when I am so obviously not Tite Kubo?  
_

_

* * *

  
**O-x-x-x-x-O Chapter Seven: Closing the gap**_

Hitsugaya scrawled down words angrily on the piece of paper in front of him, lashing his pen across the page with such speed that he was beginning to tear through the paper. Ever since Karin's breakout the situation had only progressed further down and made his life even worse.

Yamamoto had come to the conclusion that she needed to be monitored at all times, and -because Hitsugaya was the only one invulnerable to any of her actions- was promoted from babysitter to 24/7 watch guard.

He had been sent into guilt at the prospect of -as Ichigo and Isshin had so bluntly put- "abandoning her into the vile clutches of Mayuri-Taichou- and had not resigned from the position of keeping her under his constant watch.

He had spent the entire morning wallowing in anger in his office, with a ominously quiet Karin sitting adjacent to him on a couch.

_She__'__s plotting something._

It really was the only explanation, why else would she be silent instead of nagging him and disrupting his entire train of thought? Of course, by her absence of speech, Hitsugaya's mind was constantly plagued by thought of _what_ she was thinking of; maybe that was her ulterior motive, make him agitated and paranoid.

Mind games.

Devious, traits picked up my Aizen perhaps? He wouldn't knock the idea, after the last event, trust was something that he was sparing no expense on. Every door and window of the room had been lined with his reitsu, if she tried to make even one movement out he would know immediately and she would be stopped instantaneously.

It was foolish on her part he thought, in her attempt at freedom she had only made her leash shorter.

Hitsugaya sighed, there was no point thinking it over, he bluntly refused to be manipulated by her again. She was sly and cunning, he knew that now.

He placed his pen down and looked up from his stack of papers to try and get a glimpse of her. He couldn't see her on the couch but he knew she was in here somewhere, he'd be alerted if she wasn't. Hitsugaya stood up and placed a hand by his sword, even if she couldn't attack him she was still permitted to carry her sword.

He couldn't quite place why, but once Hitsugaya heard that she would be stripped of her sword again an overwhelming feeling came over him telling him that she would be lonely without it, he resented, but in the end the look in her eyes as she heard the news won him over, and he vouched for her.

Making his way around the desk he make sure to step lightly as not to make any of the floorboards creak beneath his heels. He placed a hand on the edge of the couch and looked over to see if she was there, and she was.

Her prone form lay on the bed, breathing in and out evenly, her eyelids gently padded over her eyes. She had fallen asleep and he hadn't even noticed it.

She looked surprisingly peaceful sleeping; her strong and fierce features had relaxed and as she laid there tucked up with her knees pressing to her chest, looking innocent and almost timid.

He hadn't even realized that he had been gawking until Matsumoto bounded into the room, loud, gleeful, and flustered.

"Hello Hitsugaya-Taichou!" Hitsugaya snapped his head to face her, ever since his present to her she had been cold and aggravated by the mere sight of him, for her to be this obnoxious again could only mean one thing…

"Your drunk aren't you?"

"Yep!! Completely drunk and I _LOVE IT! _Nanao finally got her paws off the sake and we celebrated! What about you?" She yanked out a bottle from -Hitsugaya swore- midair are flaunted it in front of his face, "Wanna have some?"

Hitsugaya had done _that _before.

About four years ago he had finally had his first taste of Matsumoto's raving toxic and things had _not_ ended well. Hitsugaya found that he could not hold his liquor in any measurable amount, Matsumoto discovered that Hitsugaya had an absolutely horrific singing voice, and the Gotei Thirteen decided that they needed thicker walls.

No, not well at all.

"I'll have to decline on that."

Matsumoto shrugged and leaned to the side to see Karin sleeping on the couch behind him, "So she finally fell asleep huh?"

Hitsugaya turned and looked down at her again, careful to make sure that he didn't stare this time, "Yeah, I was wondering why she was so quiet, I didn't even notice until I saw her."

Rangiku grinned, "Still not talking to her though? You did look pretty angry when she busted out."

"It was _your_ advice." Matsumoto laughed heartily and plopped onto another seat in the room.

"She's not all bad y'know?"

He looked disbelieving "Oh really?"

"Yeah, she's still a Kurosaki after all."

"That's a good thing?"

"Okay what I meant is, she's still Yuzu's twin, how bad could she be?"

Hitsugaya crossed his arms over his chest, "Yes, but she hasn't said a word about any of them. Even though she saw Kurosaki it's as if she doesn't even remember the sight of him, it did nothing to her. You should of seen it, when he looked at her laying unconscious I swore I thought he was going to cry or something, but her? She was completely unfazed the whole fight."

Matsumoto cast her glance down, "That's so sad."

They stayed in silence for a while before Karin shifted in her sleep and caught both their attention.

She tossed around slightly before moving her arm up and rubbing her eyes. Groggily sitting up Karin batted her eyes open, drinking in her surroundings as the memories came back to her.

"So your finally awake?"

She turned to head to see a silver and black blob, "Mmmf?"

Matsumoto laughed, "Barely."

Karin's eyes fully opened and a soon as she got a clear view of who she was looking at promptly turned her head away. Histugaya looked confused, _why is __**she **__mad at __**me**__? _He wasn't the one who betrayed whatever trust he conveyed in her by destroying a building.

Karin continued to avoid his gaze, she was sick of him. His look, his attitude, his power over herself, and most of all, the way he trusted her. She found it impossible that he would be willing to convert his personality that quickly and then have the audacity to tell her that he was placing his trust in her when he gave her slight freedom.

Did he have any idea just how much of a precious thing he had given to her? Couldn't he understand that he was being stupid?

Couldn't he comprehend that she would screw it up?

Karin gritted her teeth together, of course she would. It seemed to be an unhealthy habit of hers of running her mouth too far or going out of line with the tight restrictions she already had grounded as boundaries. Freedom was something offered only as reward for something unbelievably spectacular and now he was handing it out as if it were nothing.

And that absolutely disgusted her.

"Hey Karin?" She spun to hear her named being called by not Hitsugaya, but the older and obviously busty woman sitting opposite her. She showed a puzzled look, an indication to the woman that she had no idea who she was,

"Oh right, I'm Mastumoto Rangiku, fukatacihou to Hitsugaya-Taichou." Karin kept her face blank, yet another indication, although a very different one that said some very different things.

_And I care…?_

Matsumoto grinned and waved her bottle, the contents sloshing around inside, "Ah you need to loosen up, you look just as mad as Hitsugaya-Taichou!"

Karin noticed the flush on her cheeks and the quantity of the less-than-full bottle being carried in the woman's hands, although she wasn't exactly sure what it meant she figured it wasn't anything good. Nevertheless curiosity overran her and she asked anyway,

"What is that your drinking?" Matsumoto looked astonished as she gazed down at her drink, "Wahhhh?! You've never seen sake before?!"

Karin shook her head from one side to the other, it had never come across her before…

"Well what harm could one sip do?" Matsumoto happily sung as she tossed the closed bottle over, only to be caught by Hitsugaya's hand.

"No. There is no way I am letting you get her drunk."

Matsumoto pouted, "Oh come on, not everyone get's as easily drunk as you do Taichou!"

"No."

Rangiku whined in an overly dramatized voice, "_Please?"_

_"_No."

"Oh come on, just one sip, look at her, she's so innocent!"

Karin looked nothing but innocent. Sitting on the couch with her legs still tucked up to her and her head tilted in confusion at whatever they were rambling on about, she posed a perfect embodiment of anything but an assassin.

Hitsugaya felt himself slightly taken back at her when her grey eyes met over his, although it was a feeling soon passed as she glowered at him looking at her. Grimacing back at her he turned to face Matsumoto,

"No."

"Hmph." Matumoto pouted and complained, "A little bit won't do any harm!"

"No."

She sighed, "Fine. I'll do it when your not here."

"Matumoto, it's my job to stay by her at all times. Chances are you will not find a moment to talk to her privately, let alone slip her a drink."

She sat up straight and grinned in a cheshire cat sort of way, "Just watch me."

Karin simply sat and watched them. Was this what friends did? Bicker all day? Wouldn't that get tiring? Karin decided to just write the questions off, it shouldn't matter to her, moreover she shouldn't get used to such a light-hearted surrounding.

She would be back with Aizen soon enough.

**O-x-x-x-x-O**

Hitsugaya stocked the papers done on his desk with a satisfying grin, one whole days worth of work with no fatal injuries and a shockingly progressive work ethic, _that_ is what he would call a success.

After the incident involving Matumoto, a sake bottle, and an overwhelmingly curious Karin, Hitsugaya had assigned Matsumoto to work that she hastily shrugged off, leaving himself and Karin in an awkward silence.

After an hour or so of them sitting in pure silence -him working and her doing nothing in particular- she announced that she was going to connect with her sword, and insisted on him to not pay mind to if their was a sudden increase in her reitsu. He cautiously agreed, warning that he _would_ be paying closer attention to her now because she told him not too, to which she just rolled her eyes.

She didn't care anyhow. Her mind was mind too full of concerning thoughts to even care slightly about whatever he said, she had much, much larger problems to deal with.

_Shirohouou, why won't you talk to me?_

Eventually time lapsed by without success and she found herself snuggling for a comfortable position back on the couch. She didn't want to talk to anyone, there was nothing to do, and she was still dead tired. Before she had been so used to sleeping during the day and spending her nights on the sandy plains that staying up had been a trudging accomplishment.

To her humiliation and digression, though her thoughts were consuming she still pulled time aside to wonder about Hitsugaya in small intervals. Of course his words had simply turned into a distracting hum, but his face kept popping up at the most inconvenient of times. Every time she thought she was having some type of break through with Shriohouou, there he came.

He could be considered as just one more barrier in her thoughts.

Kairn had no idea what it was about him, but he intrigued her -or plagued her- with thoughts. When she was dreaming he seemed to constantly reappear, and it aggravated her to no end.

Just as she began to drift further into sleep, one hopefully far away from anywhere he could reach, she felt her shoulder be nudged gently, and stirred her awake. Opening her eyes slowly he glared when a realization hit her.

He just wasn't going to leave.

Groaning she turned her body away from him and shut her eyes, reluctant to get up. He sighed behind her and pushed against her shoulder again, this time she sat up, pressing her elbows against the seat cushion.

"Yeah?"

"You've slept the whole day through, we have to get to Unohana's now."

"Now?"

"Were staying on a schedule. How do you think others would feel to seeing an arrancar walking around the Gotei Thirteen?"

Karin huffed and grabbed her sword, sliding it into her sheathe before he placed his hand onto of hers and stopped her from putting it in all the way, "I've been told to not let you do that."

Karin grimaced and swatted his hand off of her, "It wont be of any use anyway."

She hefted herself off the couch and walked to the door, "Let's just get this over with."

He walked up to the door and pushed it open, looking outside carefully, "Soutaichou said that they can only keep the hallways unoccupied for seven minutes, so we had better hurry."

Exciting together, Hitsugaya felt himself have to constantly speed up to prevent Karin from leading in front of him, it was obvious that she hated being in the shadow of another, especially one that held control over her. So she continued to run, to push it further and further until he could hear her ragged breath; and straight to the fourth division, she wouldn't stop.

Ending at close to a tie they halted outside the door, Hitsugaya again checking the inside of the room before he let her in behind him. After getting a satisfied check he motioned for her to come in and sit in the available chair as he went and got Unohana.

To any other this would be a prime opportunity to run away, but Karin wasn't stupid, there were a couple good reasons why she wouldn't leave. She didn't miss his speedy flick of the wrist as he entered, the door and locked by his reitsu, she wasn't leaving this room easily. Secondly Karin _wanted_ to stay, they were trying to figure something out about her, and Karin wasn't sure if it was something tied into her tightly closed memory; if it was, she wanted to know.

The third reason. What was it again? Karin couldn't quite place it but she knew well enough that there was something else chaining her down to this place. It must be something important though, somehow this place, moreover these people, all acted as if they knew about her, secrets that she hadn't found out yet. It was their lingering glances over her, the way their eyes roamed her as if searching for something, the way they looked in her eyes a couple seconds longer than she could tell they looked in anyone else's; like they were waiting for her to make a move.

Or maybe she was just being delusional, from her past she would never doubt the possibility that she was under some type of influence, it had happened far too often before. Not to mention, Unoahana was meant to be the doctor here, and prior interaction with doctors she had had before had not ended well…

Karin just prayed that it wouldn't happen again.

When he came back in Karin raised her head and saw the woman behind him shift towards her. She had a long black braid that tied in the front around her neck, her face was a smouldering calm and gentle one that matched in perfect time with her graceful steps and fluent movements. Karin looked sceptical, no one was this tranquil, especially a doctor.

Karin grabbed the sides of her chair and squeezed hard, if he wasn't here she'd be able to run, maybe all she needed was the right leverage. She glanced once more at Hitsugaya who shifted uncomfortably at the sight of her running her eyes up and down him, if that make him like that then…

Karin slowly grabbed the sash around her black attire and began to untie it slowly, trying to make sure he'd see,

"Umm, what are you doing Karin?"

Karin put on her best face and looked at him "What do you mean? Sayzel always had me undress to check me, isn't that what she's doing?"

"Well yes, but it's not anything that requires-"

"If she's going to test me she's going to want to do it all at once. I don't feel like running back here every time doctor here decides she needs another sample."

"But Karin-" Unohana lifted her hand gently to indicate him to stop talking,

"Firstly young lady, it's Unohana-Taichou. Secondly Hitsugaya-Taichou she is correct, if possible I'd like to have a chance to see her physically as well so that we won't have to create arrangements for you to have to keep sneaking her through the halls constantly."

Hitsugaya looked from one of them to the other, "But I'm supposed to stay with her at all times and…"

Karin smiled, tempted to grin, but maintaining her composure,

"You can stay if you want."

Hitsugaya flushed tomato red and stuttered, "This isn't really necessary, I need to stay with you at all times so your not going to do this."

Unohand cocked her head to the side, her braid draping with her movements, "It's alright Hitsugaya-Taichou I can take care of this alone."

"But-"

"I insist. Don't worry" She looked back at Karin, as if she could read her ideas in her eyes, "I won't let her escape."

Hitsugaya looked ready to protest but caught on quickly. Karin would probably try something, but he had full faith in Unohana, who knows? She might actually get some sense into her while she was at it.

Presenting a flatly mock-frustration curl of the mouth, he turned and walked to the door, "I'll be right outside."

After the door clicked behind him, and the sound of his footsteps leading away, Karin finally let loose a long awaited smirk, "So, we gonna do this the easy way or the hard way?"

Unohana smiled as she brushed the folds of her hakama and turned to her medicine cabinet, speaking over her shoulder.

"What are you talking about?"

Karin didn't like how lightly she took her, was she not a prisoner who escaped a high guarded holding facility just yesterday?

"I mean, are you gonna let me walk or is this gonna have to get messy."

"You language is quite improper, is it something picked up from Gin?"

Karin seethed, "Don't talk like you know me."

Unohana walked calmly to Karin, a small grey medicine bottle grasped between her fingers, "I actually know a lot about you Karin. How about this, if you can cooperate with me I'll do everything in my power to help you retrieve those lost memories of yours."

Karin balked. How did this woman know anything about herself? Moreover, when did this turn into a compromise?!

Karin glowered and clenched her teeth, "Don't you dare say such things."

Unohana sighed, "Are you afraid? Don't worry, no one here will hurt you." Eyeing Karin's hand that was now resting on the hilt of her zanpakutou Unohana reached out, but was swatted away by Karin's other hand.

"Don't touch me!"

Wearily smiling Unohana handed her the medicine and took a step back, "I can see were not going to get closer than this for today. Don't worry the next time I see you I'll do this better, okay? I hope you feel better, you look a little worn out." Unohana pointed to the bottle now tucked securely in Karin's clench, " There, take two a day, one in the morning and the other at night."

Karin wanted to ask so many things: why was she telling her this? What kind of medicine was that? What would it do to her? Why was she being so kind?

But she was to started to ask. Karin only remained surprised, and somehow the words chocked in her throat before they made it out. Unohana noticed and genuinely smiled,

"Don't worry, there only to help you try and remember. Be careful though they may make you a little sleepy." She directed Karin to the door gently, patting her on the shoulder before opening the door, "You'll be fine, and don't be so hard on Hitsugaya-Taichou, he's just trying to do his job."

She slid the door open and lead Karin into the hallway taking mind to Hitsugaya and his incredulous look as he leaned off the wall and gaped at a cooperating Karin. Right before Unohana bided her leave and shut the door fully behind herself, Karin grabbed the edge and held it open,

"What was your name again?"

Unohana softened her eyes, "Unohana-Taichou." She bowed to both of them, "Until next time."

Karin wasn't sure if she liked her, but she knew she respected the woman.

Her and her dark smile.

Karin was caught out of her reverie by Hitsugaya as he waved a hand in front of her face,

"Well, let's leave then. I'll have to make arrangements to meet again later."

Karin fleetingly nodded, her mind carried off again as she left with him. After a while though curiosity overwhelmed her as if often did as she wondered where they were heading this time.

"Hey, where're we going anyway?"

Hitsugaya was taken back that she was speaking to him, but decided to take it as a good thing and not prod. "We're going back to the office I need to hand you over to Matsumoto for the night."

"Oh, okay." Karin had gotten used to just letting it go and following; she had numerous ideas for escaping but none were immediate, might as well take advantage of the opportunity to see around the Gotei Thirteen before she left. That is of course if he would finally lead her somewhere outside the walls that she had already walked before.

The approached the door back to the division and Karin took lead in front of Hitsugaya; he didn't mind, this close to the office and at a relatively slow rate, she wouldn't be going anywhere soon. She grasped the knob of the door and swung it open wide, just far enough to be tackled into a tight grip by a very bodacious and exceedingly drunk woman.

"Taichou!" Matsumoto squeezed the girl in her arms tightly, still unaware that she wasn't hugging exactly the right person.

Karin squirmed uncomfortably in her vice grip, all the while trying to hide her surprise and total humiliation behind wide eyes and a flushed cheeks. Hitsugaya had close to a same expression as he watched in a trance like state, his eyes pushed open and his mouth agape. Karin continued to wriggle, trying desperately to find a way out, flailing her legs in the air as she was too short to reach to the ground when Matsumoto hefted her up, all to the oblivious squealing of Rangiku.

"Oh Taichou your soooo cute~!" Matsumoto cooed as she nuzzled Karin's hair into a frazzled mess.

"Matsumoto, release Karin _now_."

Hitsugaya had learned that when Matsumoto drank herself into a stupor the best way to talk to her was as if speaking to a small child; calmly and direct.

Matsumoto knocked her head up in one quick motion, sizing up the boy in front of her before tilting her head in confusion and looking down to see who she had tackled.

Once she noticed the flushing red face of Karin, her hair wildly dishevelled and her glaring eyes Matsumoto grabbed harder, "Your so cute when your mad! Just like Taichou!"

Karin was practically shaking, her fists clutched angrily, all to the observation of Hitsugaya. He grabbed a nearby sake bottle -not something done in difficulty, the room was layered with masses of them- and flaunted it by her face,

After it caught her attention, Matsumoto put Karin down, eyed the bottle in a fashion similar to Yoruichi and immediately threw Karin away to snatch the bottle from Toushiro's hands.

Hitsugaya ran forward and caught Karin, his arm sliding round her waist mid-fall; They both dropped down, him kneeling and holding a still shell-shocked Karin in one arm while balancing himself with the other.

He looked at Matsumoto who had transferred her attention to the bottle in her hands and growled, "Matsumoto…"

She smiled innocently, her cheeks glowing red, "Aww Taichou did you see that? See was just as shy as you used to be, isn't that adorable?"

"You should just let her be, I think that she wouldn't-" He was cut off my a particularly harsh voice coming from beneath him,

"Well _I _think" Hitsugaya grew stiff as he just realized that he was still holding the shaking figure in his arms, "That you get the _hell off me." _

He was almost about to point out that in fact it was actually _her_ ontop of _him_ before he looked down to her face; her startled, angry, flushing an even more neon red colour than before face, and came to the realization that his was hastily turning a shade reminiscent of her own.

Pushing her off him quickly he stood up and stepped away from her as she regained her balance and brushed herself off, her blushing face avoiding all eyes. Hitsugaya scoffed to try and brush off the awkwardness and spoke, his tone not concealing his urge to leave as fast as possible.

"Matsumoto, I'm here to give you Karin for the night, so if you don't mind I'd rather leave now. It's been a long day."

Matsumoto raised an eyebrow, "What are you talking about Taichou?"

"Karin. She stays with you during the nights, I watch her all day."

"_Really_?"

"Yes Matsumoto."

"I don't think so."

Hitsugaya crossed his arms, all he wanted to do was go home and sleep… "And why not?"

"Your supposed to watch her all the time, and I mean _all _the time. Didn't Soutaichou say that her best chance of escaping was at night? If anything that's the time you should defiantly be with her."

Hitsugaya hated how she could suddenly jump to sobriety when the situation involved her doing something she didn't want to do… "Soutaichou wouldn't dare."

"He would and he has. Sorry Taichou but it looks like she's all yours."

Karin scoffed from the corner, she absolutely loathed the way Matumoto phrased that. "I don't belong to anyone. And don't even try to say I do."

Matumoto put her hands up and palms out in a stance that showed she was stepping back from an argument, "My bad, not what I meant. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is she's gonna be with you a lot Taichou until Unohana can do something so she can speak to other people that you know, used to, you know."

"Used to what?" Hitsugaya covered in place of Matsumoto,

"Used to work in facilities that worked with people with memory issues, and others who used to be involved with the research of arrancar. It's nothing you should worry about."

"Yeah that. Well I'm really tired so I'm gonna leave you guys, see you tomorrow alright Karin?"

Karin weaved her head from looking at one to the other, to be honest she really, _really _didn't want to stay with him. How was she supposed to plot her escape with him breathing down her back?

"But…"

"Yeah?"

"Why can't I stay with you for the night? I won't go anywhere." _At least not tonight._

"Nope, sorry Karin." Although she was speaking to Karin she raised her voice louder from Hitsugaya's ears, "Besides I have _so_ much sake in my room and you who's never even tried it before…"

"That's enough." Hitsugaya turned down the hall in the direction of his room, "Let's go Karin."

She snapped out of her daze between the conversation that was bouncing off Matsumoto and Hitsugaya and turned to walk on his heels. "Fine."

It only took about half way through the hallway for her to realize just how obedient she had become to him. She shuddered lightly before she picked up the pace and dashing in front of him.

_To not be controlled is to overwhelm your oppressor in every aspect._

**O-x-x-x-x-O**

Karin stalked into the room following in time to the dragging steps of Hitsugaya. His room was large, as she guessed it would be considering his rank, but sparsely furnished. The main possessions that stood out were shelves, a desk, unlimited stacks of papers, a large window with a sliding door to the outside, some plants, a couch, a small attaching room that she guessed was the kitchen, another that was probably the bathroom and one last one that lead to his bedroom. Karin almost liked it.

Almost.

She was never one for large amounts of decor anyway, so somehow the limited accessories reminded her of home. Or at least whatever home could be considered as these days. But it still had a part of him in it. Even she could tell the room was reminiscent of him, the overall layout, the cleanliness and the style, it was all him. That was the part that kept her away.

Yes, that was it.

She watched him walk in, hang up his hirori and make his way to the middle of the room. Once he reached the center he turned to face her and reached a hand out to indicate her attention towards the couch,

"You can sleep here, I'll keep my door open during the night so that I'll know if you make any moves. I'm about to line every opening with reitsu though, so I don't think that'll be a problem." As he was speaking, he was already acting on his words. Brushing past the window and doors she was becoming keenly aware of every flick of the wrist he made, and just like that, she was locked in.

"Whatever."

Hitsugaya rolled his eyes at her attitude, he was far too tired to put up with anything, "Anyway, there's some food in the kitchen if your hungry, I was given clothes for you to wear, so I'll get those and then you can go to sleep I guess."

She turned her head away, a silent repetition of her last words.

He left the room and returned with a black bundle and tossed it to her, "Good night." He retracted to his room without saying anymore, leaving Karin alone in the room with her thoughts.

Karin brought the bundle to her face and inhaled before throwing to the other side of the room, _even the clothes smell like him now._

Grudgingly sitting on the couch Karin crossed her legs and yanked her sword from her sheathe and placed it in front of her at arms length. Closing her eyes tightly she tried to form a connection with her zanpakutou spirit. Roaming around in the confines of her mind she yelled, and yelled, and yelled, desperately attempting to grasp Shirouhouou's attention.

She had been ignoring her the entire day and it scared Karin more than anything. Karin had always had a bond with Shirohouou, one that she could always rely on for a decent conversation or a shoulder to lean on before she got shrugged off and boldly told 'to pull herself together'; Shirohouou was her friend and part of her, to find that a side of her was gone only made her feel even more hollow.

Karin pulled herself out of her reverie and shook her head, before fishing into her pocket and pulling out the bottle Unohana gave her earlier on. She had been told to take on at night and in the morning, opening the cap with a small pop she grabbed a small orange pill, shoved it into her mouth, and swallowed.

It tasted awful.

Covering her mouth with one hand she ran to the kitchen, turned on the tap, and scooped water into her hand, shoving it eagerly into her mouth. Karin made a disgusted face and wiped her mouth, maybe later on she'd be able to find something to counteract the taste, for now though she'll just have to trudge through it.

Sighing, Karin marched herself back to the couch and tried to settle into a comfortable position. But, right as she was finally falling into sleep she blinked and caught a glance of her sword. Suddenly her thoughts were overran with Shirouhouou again and she couldn't sleep. She was too worried.

What if this was something that went deeper than a breif disconnection with her sword?What if this was going to last longer? What is Shirohouou had gotten blocked out like her memories? What if she had lost her spirit?

This had never occurred before so who's to say that it wouldn't be possible if…?

Karin sat up, her breathing getting harder and more ragged. Dragging her feet out of bed she walked to the door that blocked her off from Hitsugaya. He had forgotten to reopen it before he went to sleep. Dubiously fighting through the idea of whether she should talk to him about Shirohouou or not, Karin became anxious.

_I'll tell him. I'll tell him. He'll fix it. He has to._

_It's his __**job.**_

Deciding her need for answers overpowered her distaste for talking to him Karin knocked lightly on the door.

No answer.

Karin knocked another time, not much louder than her last.

No answer.

She began to knock louder and louder until she was pounding against the door. Finally a very tired, and annoyed Hitsugaya answered the door, his hair messy and large obvious bags underneath his eyes.

"What?"

Karin seemed a little taken back by his grumpy attitude, _maybe this is a bad idea after all…_

"I need to talk to you."

"Not now Karin. It's been a long day and whatever you want to throw at me will have to wait until tomorrow when I can come up with a response to your sarcasm." He turned around and walked back to his bed, leaving a jaw-dropped Karin in the doorway.

"This is serious."

"No Karin."

Karin narrowed her eyes dangerously, so wishing that she could go over there and actually attack that pretty face of his… She harshly glared at him, hoping that at the very least her eyes could pierce his calm exterior. Turning out of the door frame she slammed the door behind her, not exactly sure how to react.

Even if she knew she couldn't talk to him and that there was nothing she could do about it, Karin didn't think she'd get any sleep if her questions were left lingering. Swiftly calculating her options Karin came across a particularly enjoyable choice as she eyed the door.

Tracing her eyes across it's light structure and average thickness Karin decided that yes, she could defiantly break such flimsy wood. Smirking she walked slowly to the door, enjoying every minute of her idea morphing into a full formed plan.

Crashing her fist through the wooden plank door she almost took pleasure in the paralysis beginning to seep through her, and indefinite pleasure at the sight of Hitsugaya barging into the room with widely pressed eyes.

"What the hell do you think your doing?!"

Karin's grin faded, in it's place a look of ferocity and determination to get her way.

"I need to talk to you."

"You've _got_ to be kidding me!"

"Now."

Hitsugaya wouldn't hinder to this, he was a captain for Kami's sake! No one told him what to do but the soutaichou. He swallowed his pride and began to make his way back into his room.

"No."

Kairn watched him try to leave and brought her arm back in, to punch another hole in the wall.

"I _said_, I need to talk to you."

Hitsugaya felt himself be pulled back in every time she tried to disobey her protocol and leave. "Tomorrow Karin. I'm not putting up with this."

Karin began to punch the wall continuously creating more and more holes that slowly turned into dents; every time she punched the paralysis was taking a larger toll on her strength.

"You will listen!"

"No. I will not give to your demands. I'm leaving." He made his way back to his room before halting at the door to her words,

"You leave; I'll run." He spun to look into her grey eyes, pushing and pushing with all her might to get him to listen, "I won't stop. If you fall asleep I'll run and you won't even notice."

She had a point.

But it really was just a guise. Karin knew, heck Karin's body knew, that it couldn't continue this strain and would eventually fall. To be precise Karin only believed she a couple more punches in her before she succumbed to the numbing sensation spreding through her arm and body. But all she had to do was play the part a little longer, just enough for her to have him hear her out. Then she could collapse.

Gritting his teeth Hitsugaya growled, "Fine. What?"

Karin didn't know what to say.

After throwing a tantrum capable of a five year old Karin almost felt too humiliated to even say anything. Stuttering out a feeble excuse for an intro she began, simple and bold.

"Shirohouou."

He traced her arm to where she was pointing, her sword lay abandoned on the couch. "Yes, your zanpakutou. What of it?"

"No my zanpakutou _spirit._"

"And..?"

"It won't talk to me."

She had unknowingly caught his attention, although after a previous defeat he would never show it. The infamous Hitsugaya Toushiro was far too stubborn.

"What do you mean?"

Karin threw an aggravated sigh, "What do I mean? I mean, she won't talk to me! I can't connect with her at all! She's shut me out!"

"It happens to a lot of us. Some times one just cannot reach their spirit. It happens often."

"But this has never happened before! And now that I need her more than ever she's just decided to leave me?!"

Wait. Where did that come from?

Karin had just let herself out. It was something so foreign to her, so completely alien that she had no idea what to do except to cover her mouth hastily with her hand. It didn't help that he wasn't doing anything but staring.

His eyebrows softened and curved, along with his mouth who's edges slowly formed into a frown.

"Karin."

She stepped backwards and fell. The paralysis had finally taken over her legs and she dropped to the ground like a rag doll, before he caught her for the second time that day.

She turned her face from him, she wouldn't dare to show him her expression. Pity was something Karin wanted none of. He spoke in a softer tone than before,

"We'll go see Unohana tomorrow kay? I'll make sure of it."

She felt her face lighten up just enough for her to feel obliged to look at him, a new smirk plastered on her face -this time one free of any anger- was directed to him. She sighed her exertion out and replied,

"Sure. Now let me go."

The scene felt oddly reminiscent as he let go of her and for the fourth time that night went back to his room, this time though when he exited, he left the door wide open.

Karin moved slowly back to the couch, somehow she felt relieved, like a weight had been lifted form her. That had never happened before.

Suddenly the burden wasn't so large. And there was a hope, that maybe, just maybe, everything would turn out okay. Before heading to her bed, or couch, she walked to the other side of the room and picked up a previously discarded item. Squeezing the bundle to her chest Karin decided to change into the clothes, after all, with all those holes in the door, tonight would be cold.

Smiling despite herself Karin gave one last lingering thought before she drifted into a more peaceful sleep than she had had in a long time.

_Maybe that's what it would be like to have a brother._

_**

* * *

**_

_**A/N: ** Please don't kill me kay?_

_Just a little treat for people who wanted the hitsukarin-ness. I give it to you, but there is no way I'm going down without expanding the plot. :)** REVIEW!!!!!! **_


	8. Oh Captain, my Captain

**A/N:** **_I'M SO SORRY!!!!!!!_** _I know, I know, it's actually been more than a month since my last update, but this time it's actually not my procrastinating fault. Really, it isn't. IT'S WINDOWS 7! Has anyone installed this software? It sucks. I'm still not able to access my USB key where all of my CtPS stuff is on my PC, and for the first two weeks the internet was always getting disconnected, Word kept freezing, and the computer kept randomly shutting off. The other computer (our Mac, our beautiful, beautiful Mac) has been so damn reliable but has been prioritized for homework purposes. And if that wasn't enough i've been on some crazy writers block, which leads me to my next point:_

__

I don't like this chapter.

I don't like how it turned out, and I've completely rewritten it about three times by now. It has finally become a piece I'm not really proud of, but is good enough that I'll publish it. That's my waring for you. On a better note, (and shorter), I have read through and **LOVE** **Fairy Tail!** Read it. Love it. Write about it. Read my profile for further updates.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own or are affiliated with Tite Kubo's Bleach, the title that came from a movie called "Dead Poets Society", and also do not own (and never wan to be affiliated with) Windows 7. My opinion of it though, is simply my opinion.

_This chapter is being dedicated to KazeNoSakura, who encouraged me to keep writing despite the writers block, and who reviewed this story **5** times, and even reviewed Just Keep Swimming, for a total of **6 reviews!** Merci!_

**

* * *

**

**O-x-x-x-x-O Chapter 8: Oh Captain, my Captain**

Karin woke from her sleep lazily as she lent up against the back cushions on the couch and rubbed her eyes, pushing aside her exhaustion for a later time. It was time to adapt to the new time schedule. Slinging up the side of her black robes back onto her shoulder Karin groggily heaved herself up and panned the room, blinking tiredly as the memories seeped back to her.

"Your finally awake then?"

Karin turned to the source of the sound to find Hitsugaya sitting on a chair with his feet propped up onto the table reading a book. She tried not to look long, but it became such a difficult task to avert her eyes from scanning him after the inviting atmosphere enveloped her. The tension from before had disappeared close to completely and the air felt so much easier to breath in. There was no more pressuring weight, no suffocating sense of impending doom that Karin hadn't been able to shake, everything just felt so much _lighter._ He wasn't so much of an enemy now, more like a aggravating watch-guard that she didn't mind spending time with.

An annoying, smart-mouthed, egoistic, protective, acquaintance.

_Yes,_ Karin thought without holding back a grin,that summed it all up quite nicely.

Hitsugaya didn't let it go unnoticed and shifted awkwardly under her gaze, "What's that look for?"

Karin shrugged and stretched her arms out, loosening up her tight muscles after an admittedly uncomfortable sleep. "Nothing. Nothing at all."

Hitsugaya wasn't satisfied but dropped the subject. He was smart enough by now to not try and pry when he knew the answers would stay locked tightly behind her pulled back, smirking lips. Rolling his eyes he returned his focus to the pages of the book he had dug himself a satisfactory three hundred pages into and spoke aimlessly, "Were going to see Unohana again today."

"What?"

"Your sword." He raised his head out of the book and tilted it in the direction it still laid on table, "Were going to go see her about it today."

"That's strange. Back in Hueco Mundo we never had the doctor deal with this kind of stuff." Inwardly though Karin was thankful. She had no intentions to go see another doctor much less a scientist, all of which seemed to bring back only bad memories better left forgotten.

"Well to be honest, I really should be taking you to Mayuri-Taichou, but that wouldn't be a very smart idea. Not to mention Unohana says there been sometime of development she's like to see you about." Paying heed to Karin's sudden change in expression Hitsugaya hastily added, "Nothing big though."

Karin's face fell flat. "Oh. Sure, whatever. When are we going?"

Hitsugaya strained his neck to turn his head far to the left and checked the clock, "Relatively soon, in about half-an-hour actually. We'll know when it's time to go."

"How?"

Hitsugaya twitched the corner of his lips into a grin, "When everything goes quiet."

Karin didn't notice just how loud it was until he had directly pointed it out. The rustling outside in the corridor the muffled voices through the door and the padding of feet going this way and that, everyone had work to do and there was simply no time to stop. Karin was surprised that it hadn't come to her before. She sighed and plopped back onto the couch with a thud, fully prepared to be a moderately good little girl for the next half-an-hour and wait out the time watching the clock, before Hitsugaya spoke up. "You _can_ have breakfast you know."

"Huh?"

"Breakfast? There might be something in the fridge. Go ahead take whatever you want, I don't eat much here anyway. Never the time."

"Food?" She almost flushed at the rumble her stomach emitted at the mere thought, "Ugh yeah. That'd be a good idea." Karin sauntered over to the fridge and opened the white door. Pulling out what looked to be leftovers she walked to the table across form him and sat down, pulling her knees to her chest and off the ground, she finally found a place comfortable on the wooden chair. Leaving an awkward thanks his way, she tried to not think about how nice it would be for once to do this again sometime.

**O-x-x-x-x-O**

"Come, on! We don't have much time! We've already wasted two of our minutes!"

Karin scurried around the room, fishing in every cupboard and beneath couch cushions for the pills she was supposed to take before they left. "Getting to it!" Finally spotting the small bottle along side a pair of her discarded change of clothes Karin reached down and snatched it, all while trying to run to the door.

"Oh wait water-"

"No time! Just swallow it whole."

"But this stuff is so-"

"Let's go!"

Karin twisted her head back and forth from the still open door to Hitsugaya's urgent face, and quickly making up her mind, shoved the pill into her mouth while mumbling jumbled words to his as she raced in front of him ,"If I barf, your to pay!" Which in fact turned out to sound more along the lines of, "If Im barh, yuf to pay!"

Hitsugaya nodded as if he understood every word with a crystal clarity.

"Let's just hurry, alright?"

"Hurry? I'm ahead of you!" She darted past him and sped to Unohana's office with him directly on her heels; _he_ wouldn't ever say it, but Hitsugaya had decided to let her take the lead for once.

**O-x-x-x-x-O**

He continued with normal procedure form there, check every corner, never enter a room without his permission first, make sure everything was clear. Brooding over his last inspection Hitsugaya finally let Karin, who by force shoved her own way in, and left her to talk with her as he waited patiently in an outside waiting room. Leaning against the wall and pretending -hoping- that whatever news she was giving Karin wasn't any that would make his life even more complicated Hitsugaya fidgeted with his fingers in a mind distraction.

Hearing only murmurs through the door he felt himself subconsciously leaning his ear closer and closer, and once he became aware, adjusting it for a better hear. If he was going to listen, he might as well do it properly.

"Well, what this time?" Karin demanded, cutting to the very point.

"There has been some slight development in your situation. Although before I should continue any further, I want to inform you it doesn't that it is't healthy for you to keep having problems I keep hearing you've been having? With your zanpakutou, who's name is…?"

"Shirohouou."

"Shirohouou. Lovely name. It means 'white phoenix' right?" Karin nodded in confirmation, only mildly paying attention to side details. "Hm. Anyway, I'll be giving you some new pills that you should use in rotation with the ones I've already given you. Take one type every other day." Unohana outstretched the bottle she had been holding throughout the conversation to Karin.

Grasping the new container in her hand Karin noticed that she was still holding the other in her hand as well. Shoving the newer one into her pocket, Karin realized that there just wouldn't be enough space and that she'd have to carry the previously assigned one.

Shifting uncomfortably from one foot to another Karin tried to nonchalantly bring up the topic constantly pressing her thoughts, "So…? Any news about my memories?"

Unohana smiled gently and directed Karin to the door, "I'm afraid it's going to take some more time than that. It's a delicate process, you'll have to be patient."

Karin grunted to signify that that was obviously not the answer she had in mind as she proceeded to walk back to the door.

"Oh, and Karin? Please send Hitsugaya in, I need to talk to him privately." Karin nodded in agreement and, turning the handle and pulling the door wide open, stuck her head out and gestured inside, "Hey, she wants to talk to you." Hitsugaya pushed off against the wall and walked inside, nudging Karin on the way to go back in, "Nah, she want's to talk to you, _privately."_

Hitusaya shrugged and before walking all the way in turned around and gave Karin her always reminder, "The doors sealed to you, so just please don't break anything this time." Karin rolled her eyes and walked around the office, pretending to be interested on the pictures on the wall, "Don't worry, I'm not gonna run again."

Shutting the door fully closed Hitsugaya exited her view, but not without giving her a disbelieving look before he left. Karin mulled around the waiting room, taking in all the little features. Too preoccupied in her thoughts she didn't even notice someone walk through the door.

"Hey!" Karin peered out of the side of her eyes to see a strange visitor with flaming red hair and black robes a match to her own stumble through the door.

"Hm?"

"I've never seen you before. You new?"

Karin was confused at first until she realized that being the only person in the room, he had to be referring to her. Glancing at the door where right behind it were Hitsugaya and Unohana, Karin decided that it would probably be best if she just went along with it.

_Wouldn't want to disappoint them now would we? _

Karin grinned and replied, "Yeah, just came. I think it was a week ago."

"Cool. So, what department you in?"

Unable to remember whatever the division was that Hitsugaya ran, Karin thought on her feet and went by the only thing she knew. Deception really is only the truth with minor mutations. "I work with the holding facilities. I got hired on the day of the prisoner escape, there was more than one that went missing. It's my job to round them up and bring them back." _Oh, the delicious irony._

"Yeah, whoever it was really tore up that building didn't they?" Karin was tempted to boast at the stunning magnitude of her work, but concluded that that would most likely be the worst way, so instead settled with a seeping tone of smugness. "It was kind of impressive, wasn't it?"

Renji scratched his head and grinned, "You could say that."

Karin was about to reply -with something witty regarding her brilliant escape no doubt- when yet another person entered behind Renji. Karin's eyes grew wide as the tall figure with scorching orange hair and the massive sword walked in.

"Hey Renji what the hell you doing in-"

Ichigo stared.

Karin seethed.

"_You."_

Renji could only be curious when Ichigo balked, confused when the girl before him laid her hand on her sword and prepared to draw, and had his own zanpakutou drawn when he finally noticed the bone mask of the opposite side of her face.

"Arrancar!"

"Okay, what the hell is going _on_ out here?!" Hitsugaya slid the door out in one quick motion and took only seconds to register what was going on before him and just how badly it all looked.

"Hitsugaya-Taichou! Get her!" Hitsugaya lunged at the same time that Renji and Ichigo did, all three making a move towards the stonily placed Karin. Brandishing her zanpakutou with the same effort, Karin stood her ground and prepared for attack, her main focus not the redhead but the man behind him.

The frantic scramble ended in Ichigo's sword pressed equally against Renji's, his eyes glowering and back to Hitsugaya who was holding Karin's arm with one hand, restraining her movements and sword that he couldn't help but notice the uneasy proximity to his face..

"Renji, don't touch her."

"She's an _arrancar!_ Am I the only one seeing the mask here?!"

Hitsugaya craned his head over his shoulder, and -while keeping a firm grasp on Karin- spoke calmly to Renji, keeping his tone even to show no danger "Lower your sword Abarai, she's not an enemy."

"Not an enemy?! She's a friggin arr-"

"_What_ may I ask, is going on here?"

Every single body in the room froze.

Hitsugaya was the first to dare to look at the dark figure standing in the door way, with everyone slowly following suit; each had the same jaw-dropping, hide-under-the-covers, close-the-closet-door, reaction. Arms folded tightly across her chest and suiting one of the most malevolent smiles Hitsugaya had seen in a very long time, Unohana was clearly not pleased, and in no way entitled to hide such a fact.

Renji, being the only one without even the slightest clue to the situation at hand blurted out, "It's an _arrancar!_ Am I the only one seeing this?!" Ichigo yelled back at equal pitch, "She's _not_ an arrancar!"

"Can you _not_ see the bone mask?!"

"Don't call her-"

"Would you all just shut up?!" Hitsugaya hollered over them, trying in earnest for it to be quiet enough for him to speak to Karin, "Drop your sword Karin; they're not enemies."

Karin glared but began to lower her zanpakutou never the less, only to have it raise it back up in milliseconds as the door reflung open and a girl stepped out from behind Unohana, her own sword placed in her grasp.

"Okay, what is with all the yelling?!"

The blond took a few quick glances around the room, never lowering her sword the whole time. Scanning over the heads of white, brown, black, red and finally orange hair she saw all the expression before quickly landing on the most apparent one, "Ichi-nii? What are you doing to Renji?"

"That what I'd like to know!" Renji blurted.

"Yuzu, what are you doing…" Ichigo stuttered as he looked over to Karin, still suited behind Hitsugaya's protective figure and his tight grasp on her.

Yuzu followed his gaze until it settled upon the small girl behind the white-haired taichou. Her eyes roamed over Karin, taking in every inch, every single detail before they began to brim up with small pools of water.

"K-kar-" Yuzu couldn't finish her sentence. Sheathing her sword she took in once more the scene played before her confused eyes. Ichigo, blocking Renji with a glare and sword; Renji still pressing against his sword with might; Hitsugaya still shielding the angry brunette form the mess; Unohana, one hand on her hips, the other face-palmed and shaking her head in irritation, and finally Karin. Yuzu sighed and turned on her heel, walking back into the room and closing the door behind her, making the only noise to echo through the room.

Unohana spoke as calmly as possible, letting the words seep out her mouth and attempting to contain as much of the venom as idly possible. "Renji, please come with me into my office. There are a few things we now need to discuss. Ichigo-Taichou I suppose it would be wise for you to follow." Ichigo interjected in protest, "But Unohana-"

"_Now Kurosaki."_ Ichigo gulped and lifted his sword off Renjis. "Hitsugaya-Taichou, Karin, now would be a good time to leave."

Hitsugaya slowly released Karin, only now realizing that he had been gripping her so hard there was now a faint red tracing of his fingers on her arm where his hand had once been. She hadn't dropped her angry gaze and she stormed off in front of him, heading full long to the door. Before Renji and Ichigo shuffled out of the room in guilt and shame, Ichigo looked back at an exiting Karin and whispered in a voice only just loud enough for her to hear,

"I've missed you."

Unohana rapped him over the head and shoved him off into the other room, "Tell her everything why not?!" She watched Karin turn around and walked over and snatched the bottle of memory retrieving pills form her hand, "Won't be needing _these_ anymore now will we?!" Before fuming off into her office, fully equipped to give Renji and Ichigo a stern wake up call.

Hitsugaya pushed Karin out into the hall way, "Defiantly time to leave."

"Who were those people?"

"Nothing of your concern."

Karin rounded on him in seconds, clenching her teeth and tacking a offensive stance, "Don't give me that! Who where they?!"

Hitsugaya sighed and pressed forward, ushering her through the halls with urgency to get back tot the safer confines of the office, " They… they're people who knew about your past. Alright? Satisfied?"

"They used to know me?!" She turned and attempted to run back to the office before he blocked her with an outstretched arm, "No Karin."

"Augh! Why do you always speak to me like I'm a child? I understand direct commands, we've established that thank you very much!"

"Than what about last night?"

"It was important!"

"Karin just-" Hitsugaya in took a deep breath and talked calmly, "Please. Not now."

"But-"

"Unohana has things to deal with now. We have to inform the Soutaichou what just happened and see what repercussions it might have on you. A very large mess is laid before us now, and this is not the time."

Karin lowered her head, _just be a good girl. Then you'll get what you want._ "Alright." In an attempt to lighten the mood she added with a small chuckle, "So, Matsumoto been drinking any more of that, what was it called again? Sake?"

Hitsugaya could tell she was trying, so he pushed back pride for once and just went with the conversation, "No, she usually shows restraint until around the evening."

Karin laughed, "Why won't you let me try that stuff anyway? I could probably take it."

"I'm not taking any chances."

"I've taken worse I bet." Hitsugaya glanced at Karin as she continued to walk through the halls he head held a little higher than it had been yesterday, he footsteps not quite pounding the ground as they had been simply days before.

She seemed less, _chained._

"Nevertheless-" Kairn cut him off with the remainder of his words, her voice ringing through the air with almost a tinge of laughter that floated unlike her words had used to.

"I won't be giving you any. I know I know." Hitsugaya smirked and opened the door, leading her in before of him,

"It seems figuring me out isn't as hard as it used to be."

"It was _ever_ hard?"

"Well apparently not anymore." Karin plopped down onto the couch and rested her head on her hands, letting her chestnut hair drape onto her back.

"So what else do we have planned?" Hitsugaya grimaced, "Unfortunately today doesn't seem like it'll be any more exciting that it was yesterday. I guess you can just try and communicate with Shirohouou for a while, I've defiantly got paperwork to keep be busy."

"Kay."

Karin let her eyes wander over him as he sat down and pulled himself to the desk, instantly disappearing behind mountains of flowing stacks of paper. She heard him scribble down words avidly, as she unsheathed her zanpakutou and laid it before her, letting the messy clicking of the pen as he flew it across the paper calm her down and let her retreat into her mind.

Karin leaned into the confines as she always had done when searching for her zanpakutou spirit to come and share a conversation with her. But, same as before she was answered with a close to nothing hush of silence. Typical though. If this was just Shirohouou being her angry, Karin was not underestimating the zanpakutous extreme capacity of holding a grudge. The "silent treatment" so to speak. Back in Hueco Mundo Karin had relied on her so much for a sense of simply _being there_ that she had swallowed her pride to the extreme of grovelling.

Kuroskai Karin did _not_ grovel.

Ever.

She heaved a sigh and retracted her thoughts, finally deciding that if nothing was going to happen -because she utterly refused to resort to flat out begging-she might as well spending her time doing something productive, like sleeping.

Was she ever tired.

Than again, Karin found it hard to scower a time in her memories when she hadn't been tired. What exactly was it that always left her so worn out and exhausted?

Bringing her head up she dizzily turned to see Hitsugaya still planted behind his desk, his hair now only slightly viable. That was an improvement from before though, so who was she to judge? She grudging recalled how when talking to your spirit -or at least attempting contact- time went more slowly than what it truly was outside of the minds realm. It was convenient though; in numerous occasions in Hueco Mundo she had simply passed time that way.

In fact time seemed to pass slowly in a repetitive motion often even in the real waking hours of the day.

And that was how they had continued to pass throughout the course of the next few days of her hours spent with Hitsugaya.

**O-x-x-x-x-O**

Hitsugaya ruffled his hair and pressed his face back down into the sheet of paper he was working on. Things had begun to set into a constant motion and it had made things breathlessly easier to stream through than before Karin's attitude had slowed down to a normal pace. They followed a daily routine –one that Hitsugaya was more than comfortable with, consistency was a steady building block that made the 24 hour days breeze by; all except for those moments between the two where Karin would ask him a few questions he knew he wasn't supposed to answer. She would become a little too curious, pry a little too deep into bandaged information, and to Hitsugaya extreme displeasure, never take "I'm not allowed to tell you" as a valid answer or excuse. Some days it got so hard, he would simply walk away form her, far too unable to turn down such sad-set features and stare into such piercing grey eyes without bowing down to her determination.

And yet, one day, one perfect placement of events, one act of disobedience was all it took for him to break under the pressure and cut a few hanging strings.

To be honest, it was an anomaly that he survived under her strain for so long when the time came for him to decide between a make-or-break in her memory retrieval.

**O-x-x-x-x-O**

_Karin stretched her arms up yawned loudly, arching her back and earning a chuckle form Matsumoto who had -to everyone's immense and indescribable shock- had decided to pick up a pen that day and slyly work her way through a couple of stacks.  
_

"_You look like a cat."_

__

It was really more a statement of fact than a comment on her habits Karin had decided. Because, coming from someone with a cat-like zanpakutou, Karin believed Matsumoto had no right to call her a cat. Because, no matter how much Hitsugaya had pleaded her to not- Karin could still hear. It wasn't as if rumours where a difficult thing to pick up on, especially when your stationed right beside the woman responsible for the majority of every slice of gossip that snuck into the confines of everyone's minds and thoughts. So when the supposed rumour of Matsumoto's undeniable cat-like behaviour after a particularly excessive amount of sake the night before, it took until the first time she stepped foot into the office to overhear someone's unignorable loud conversation.

Honestly, it really wasn't her fault.

It was disappointing how, when she explained this to Hitsugaya, he merely sighed and carried on mumbling something about useless fukataichous as if it was no new news to him. Karin pouted at his lack of interest in anything she seemed to say lately, and wondered how on earth -or wherever Soul Society really was located- it was fair that he had the ability to tune her out when almost every movement he had made these past couple of days had done nothing but intrigued her.

Too held up in her issues against him Karin didn't even notice the knock on the door before the whole party had come full-out into the room. Striding in with almost an air of pride and reretrived dignity, Ichigo, Yuzu, and trailing behind them in an out-of-place fashion, Renji and Rukia.

Hitsugaya jumped in a flash, and in less than milliseconds was standing by Karin; Matsumoto on the other hand, kept up the fortress and lazed happily on her chair all the while barely paying mind to the new arrivals.

"Eh? Oh, hey! What're you guys doing here?"

Hitsugaya didn't weaver his eyes from them, "Yes, do explain."

Yuzu stepped in front of Ichigo -herself being the one with the largest calm influence- and declared without even the slightest fidgit in her tone, "Were here for Karin."

"Are you insane?"

Yuzu rolled balls of her feet, "No, I'm pretty sure I'm not. Maybe they are, but I think I'm relatively sane."

Karin shifted awkwardly behind Hitsugaya and shoved her way out from behind him, "Who are you?"

Yuzu walked forward -despite Hitsugaya's raising background protests- and extended her hand and a warm smile, "I'm Yuzu Kurosaki."

Karin looked at her hand strangely before replying with a small shake, "Yuzu huh? And ugh, mind telling me who the heck's behind you?" Karin pointed a finger at Ichigo, "Cuz' I keep running into that jerk."

Rangiku was watching out of her periphery vision and couldn't help but chuckle, "Oh Karin, Karin, Karin, you make my day and half the time you don't even know it."

"What?"

Ichigo pressed one hand to his chest and broke the words that he had wanted to say for so long into the tension racked air, "Karin, I'm not your enemy! I'm your-"

Hitsugaya wasn't about to permit Ichigo's mouth to ruin everything, "On what grounds, Kurosaki, do you have to say that?!"

"Whadd'ya mean what grounds?! I'm her-"

"Would you just shut-up! Did Soutaichou give you permission to expose information to her?"

Yuzu retook charge of the situation, "No, he didn't. Hitsugaya-Taichou were here to take Karin."

Matsumoto sprung at the sentence, jumping onto Karin's unsuspecting figure at the slightest proposal of something more fun and wrapping her arms around her, "Finally! Where to?"

Ichigo responded with equal vigour, something was finally running his way. "Well we were kind of hoping to let her visit Karakura…"

Rukia interlaced her words with the end of his sentence, never missing a beat. "Right now."

Matsumoto squeezed tighter on Karin who was still continuously wriggling to try and free herself to an arms length, or at least a length where she could breathe, all the oblivious eyes of everyone in the room that couldn't notice the alarming blue-like colour of her face. Rangiku pounded the air with a fist, "Let's go shopping!"

Yuzu timidly raised a finger to Matsumoto, "Well that's not exactly what we were thinking of…"

_But none of her words even made a dent that is Matsumoto Rangiku's shopping honed brain.  
_

"_Clothes! Shoes! Hair! Oh Karin you'll love it!"_

__

Karin was at a lack of response as she was currently turning a more violent hue of colours far from a healthy shade. Matsumoto had obviously done this before, and it was only a glaring obvious fact as this had now -by Karin's tally- been the fourth time since meeting her. First when the woman was too far beyond a state of conscious mind from drinking that she had misidentified her with Hitsugaya, two times within the week where she had done it for the heck of draining all colour from her face, and now.

It was a habit not only dangerous to Karin, but as she had found out from the third incident, but to everyone within a ten-meter radius.

Karin's answer to any question regarding the particular incident would be a "Don't wanna talk about it." Hitsugaya's on the other hand, just went straight into the classified folder along with Mastumoto's "girl's night out" which had a cabinet solely to itself.

Although, with all this happening simultaneously, everyone was far too concerned with the conversation at hand, but eventually at least one person had the intelligent idea to have Karin's idea input. "Hey, Karin, waddya you think -oi! Matsumoto, put her down!"

Rangiku glanced down at Karin and pouted, "But she's got at least two shades of blue to go before it gets serious, then I'll let her go."

"And how exactly do you know?"

Matsumoto had a quizzicle plastered to her mock-innocent features and blue doe-eyes. "What? You guys think I don't have experience with Taichou?"

_Karin was the only one who took it the wrong way.  
_

"_Mpph!" She shoved her face out form being plugged behind Matsumoto's arm, "You what?!"_

__

A cry brought to none of particular interest the conversation simply continued to derailment with Hitsugaya quickly losing the argument.

"So it's settled then right? We'll do what it takes to get her memory back ourselves!"

Hitsugaya rose up and snatched Karin away from Matsumoto, unknowingly pulling her into his chest. "I never said that!"

Ichigo leaned close to his face and grinned, "Too bad shorty, they're more of us than you."

"Kurosaki." Ichigo tried his best to avoid Hitsugaya's angry persona and think only of his sister who was still trying to place the pieces of the last couple of minuets into some sense. "Yeah?"

He was promptly thrown to the other side of the room on the back swing of Hitsugaya's closed fist, "I'm still taller."

By this point Karin had had her fill of being whipped around like a doll and did what she knew she was still allowed to do, push away. Pressing her hands against Hitsugaya's chest and pushing back so she was finally standing on her own she proudly and with a much dignity as she could muster in her frazzled appearance, went over and stood beside Yuzu.

"I'm going."

"Karin…"

"No! Say one more thing and I don't care about this damn collar, I'll punch you through the wall!"

Hitsugaya had an injured pride and ego as she stared him down with her hard eyes, and with a soothing reminder that regardless of what she remembered she was still a Kurosaki and it was only in her nature to oppose whoever had the guts to turn her down, finally nodded. Matsumoto and Renji high-fived each other with vigour and Yuzu cheered as Ichigo, well Ichigo was still plastered to the wall he had been knocked against tending to some bruises, but would most likely be whopping louder than the rest had he been paying attention to anything other than rubbing his head.

_"I'm surprised I haven't already lost my job…" _

**O-x-x-x-x-O**

Karin stuffed her hands into her pockets, overrun with worry. What if they took her to place she didn't want to go to? What if there were things in that place that she would have wanted to forget? What if there was a reason to why she had no memory except of Hueco Mundo? What if, what if, what if…?

Slinging her head down and squeezing her eyes shut Karin wished more than anything that Shirohouou could be standing beside her right now. She would know what to do. She always had an assertive persona and could line up the facts straighter than any cord. All she was asking for was some simple guidance.

Karin shifted on her feet and put up a strong face when she saw Hitsugaya come into the room, without his haori. At first it came as a puzzle, Karin couldn't ecactly quite pin what was wrong with this picture, when she got it how mouth dropped.

"Ugh," She said, pointing bluntly at his attire, or lack of, "You know your missing something right?"

"I don't want to attract attention."

"You _don't_ want to attract attention?"

"Yes, I just said that."

"Well maybe you should ditch the white hair, status, and _not_ be beside other well-known shinigami and an arrancar."

Hitsugaya considered this for a moment before disappearing into his room and returing with haori in hand.

"Let's just go."

Karin nodded and did a mock-salute she had learned after reading books Rukia had abundantly supplied her with.

"Aye aye Captain."

* * *

**A/N:** _Psh. I wrote everything at the top. All that's left is: _**_REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW!_**_ (you review I get inspiration, I get inspiration chappies come out faster!) Read Fairy Tail! And ugh, read Fairy Tail!_

_Come on people you know you want to press that lovely little green button down there. :)_


	9. First Kisses are Never Intentional

_**A/N: **I would say sorry for the late update, but seeing how it's kind of becoming a constant thing, can't I just classify it as my norm? Are we all good with that? Well I am, so I'm rolling with it._

**MERRY X-MAS/NEW YEAR/HANUKKAH/KWANZA/ **oh, gosh, I don't know what else. I know it's a little belated to fit into some of those categories so we'll just call it a late gift from me to my readers. Sorry guys, I'm bad at updates.

_Who else ate turkey for x-mas? Let me tell you, you have never experienced turkey until you have had it for breakfast, lunch and dinner for two days straight and than breakfast the day after. Seriously, I'm having visions of turkey. It can't be healthy._

_**Disclaimer:** You guys know what goes here._

***NEW NOTE***This story was originally posted on Wednesday, but after looking through it I saw some mistakes, and even though their minor, it really annoys me. So I took it down and redid it a bit. This is not a brand new chappie. Just relatively new and with a different name. 

* * *

**O-x-x-x-x-O Chapter Nine: First Kisses are Never Intentional**

Karin placed her hand on the edge of the door frame, squeezing her thin body out the crack only partially left open and whined.

"Remind me again, why are we doing this?"

Hitsugaya grumbled and flicked a strand of hair from in front of his eyes as he tightly grasped her hand and pulled her forward, letting her trail behind them as they snaked through doors and passageways, "Because, this is the only way to get you out of here without being seen. Now would you kindly stop talking and hurry up?"

After escaping her enclosure between door spaces, Karin placed a hand on her hip impatiently and, sighing dramatically, accepted her fate and eternal damnation of having to forever sneak through the halls of the Gotei Thirteen; because _Kami forbid_, breaking down walls was _not_ a viable method.

Karin mentally chalked that up with yet another reason why people were defiantly different here. She momentarily paused to think back on how, whenever she was called in for a meeting with Aizen, Grimmjow had _oh so kindly_ dragged her down, a sword not subtlety hidden from her view, and destroying all barriers between them and Aizen's room. Which she remembered with a chuckle, was the only room that would ever have use of a door.

"Karin? Hello?"

She back snapped back to attention with a jolt and a wave of Hitsugaya's daunting hand in front of her face. "Hmm, oh right." She replied nonchalantly while pushing his hand out of her vision range. "How close are we?"

He gestured over his shoulder to the room at the end of the hall, "Almost there. You'll finally get to see Karakura." He rolled his eyes and quickened his pace, "This is a stupid idea."

Karin flashed a face akin to nothing but shame, not only at the fact that she was disappointed that he wasn't on her side, but the fact that she _cared_ if he was.

_But,_ she idly mused, _what was wrong with that?_

She mentally slapped herself for bringing up a question she knew she didn't want to know the answer to and looked over to his figure receding ahead of her. His hair was unruly and frazzled, but his attire was properly lined up on his body and his haori flowing behind him in stride.

She halfly wondered what he would look like without his haori on. Sure she had seen him in only his plain black robes, but she had never exactly paid enough attention to pull a decent image to mind.

Although, she _had_ seen him shirtless that one time when she had woken up early and he had come back from training.

That had been… '_interesting.'_ her mind supplied almost eagerly.

Yes, interesting had been a good word. She had flushed madly and dove her head back into the pillow all without him noticing, but the image was still there. Karin couldn't place why she was so embarrassed, it's not like the men of Hueco Mundo didn't get their shirts torn off from training before. Heck, Grimmjow wore a loose, open jacket and exposed his whole chest all the time. He shouldn't be any different.

It was only his back, but she imagined he probably was very muscular, after him catching her so many times it wasn't hard to notice. Honestly, Karin would bet money that he had a really nice body, he was a captain after all. He probably possessed a great physique under that loose clothing. Her mouth unconsciously curled up into a smile at the mere thought, _muscular indeed._

Wait a sec.

Where had _that_ all come from?

Karin contorted her face and shook her head violently back and forth, trying to rid the thoughts that very obviously shouldn't be there. Sure, Hitsugaya Toushiro had sex appeal. Anyone with eyes could see that. But that gave her _no_ _right_ to think about it.

"Karin?"

Karin spun her head up to him so fast he would've sworn she had whiplash. "You okay?"

She stuttered and avoided eye contact as the words came pouring out, half-slurred and incomprehensible. "O-of course, were going right? Now? Good, okay, let's go."

She sped up her pace and moved ahead of him, hastily tripping over her own words and, apparently, her feet. Dropping to the ground with a large thump Karin grumbled and cursed at her _still_ distracted thoughts and her inability to remain erect and standing.

It didn't help when he leaned over and offered to help her up, so within seconds of him touching her arm to try and assist her –as if she where the elderly she stung harshly- Karin revved back her hand and got fully prepared to give him a good one to the face and wipe that damn good-looking smirk from his pretty little features…

And instantaneously got a dose of paralysis.

Hitsugaya let go the second he saw the malicious look in her eye and cautiously backed away after the fist came approximately mere inches from his face. "I was just helping!"

She growled from the floor and attempted to heave herself up with the arm that was slowly regaining feeling, "I don't need your help."

She couldn't see him, but Karin could practically feel the irritation radiate to her when he rolled his eyes and sighed. "Fine, get up on your own."

Karin blew a strand out of her eye and glared up to his standing figure, arms crossed and a undoubtedly amused expression plastered on his face. "I will." She huffed and pounded her palm back to the wooden surface and pushed her body up so she could clamber onto her knee. Smirking triumphantly she boasted to him, neglecting the fact that was still on one knee and he was standing, "Ha. See? I'm capable."

Hitsugaya grinned smugly, "Granted. Now stand up."

Karin shifted her weight uncomfortably, not because she was sitting on her knee, but because he had just asked her to do something she wasn't quite sure would be possible for at least another minute of the paralysis wearing off.

Maybe she'd just ask, but that wasn't like her. She was above groveling, and he would make her grovel. Karin was fairly sure the man was a sadist. But that was above the point.

"Hey, gimmie you hand." She snapped. He tilted his head to the side in mock-innocence and asked, "I'm sorry, what?"

"Give. Me. Your. Hand."

"I'm still not quite hearing you."

Karin clenched her teeth and hissed, "Hitsugaya, hand. Now."

He balked and offered down his hand without so much as another word. Arching her eyebrow Karin pushed away the sudden change and accepted the offer, pulling herself up with him as leverage. He gave her a one-over glance and ushered her to the door. "After you."

Retaining her puzzled demeanor Karin doubtfully stepped to the door, never realizing what he had noticed the second she had spoke.

Histugaya's close to positive that's the first time she's ever addressed him by his name.

**  
O-x-x-x-x-O  
**

Waiting behind the door with bated breath, Yuzu couldn't contain herself from leaping out of her chair and running to envelop Karin in a huge hug the instant she had stepped through a type of invisible barrier into the same room as her rightfully designated as 'whoever enters this space is within Yuzu's hugging range. You have been warned.'

"Karin!"

Oddly enough Karin never felt any awkwardness around the blond. Almost like the sister she never had, Yuzu was comforting and supporting and –for some strange reason- had made a strong connection to her. Karin figured it might just be the excitement of meeting a girl her age for once that was pushing her over her head and senses.

She was an arrancar for Kami's sake, and it was about time she started behaving like one.

Awkwardly letting the girl hug her Karin stuck to her tenacity and slowly nudged her off, still not able to hide traces of a smile. "H-hey." She looked over Yuzu to the group behind her, the short black haired girl, Karin faintly remembered her being addressed as midget by Ichigo –the orange haired one who was nonchalantly staring at the wall- but the name "Rukia" was scribbled in orange crayon in the books she had lent her, and that seemed more like a first name.

"Rukia."

Rukia looked up to her and flashed a smile, obviously pleased that she had gotten her name right. She next moved on to the red-head who was looking at her with expectant eyes, now wanting her to remember him as well, almost like a kid looking for praise after their sibling had gotten it. Karin, who wasn't really positive she would get it right, guessed, "Renji…?"

He look slight dejected at first, her tone giving it away that it had been a shot in the dark, but he lit up soon afterwards when he realized he didn't care as long as she got it.

Karin glanced out of her periphery vision at a Matsumoto who wasn't speaking but had moved her facial features into a perfectly clear message: _And what about me?_

"Yeah, yeah, I see you Matsumoto."

Matsumoto perked up and shifted the imaginary dust off her shoulders, strutting into the scene and taking charge. "Well that's about it, let's get going!"

Everyone, including a second place Hitsugaya who despite his rank was still taking orders form his lieutenant, made their way over to the door to the human world that was being prepared for them, except one. Ichigo pushed back against the wall he was leaning against and held his arms out, pulling his brows in confusion and frustration, "Hey, I'm still _here_ y'know!"

Everyone continued walking as Rukia waved her hand over her shoulder, "We know honey, we know."

Ichigo held his mouth agape but perused to trail behind his girlfriend anyhow until he grudgingly set the last step through the large opaque hole to a world of living.

**  
O-x-x-x-x-O  
**

"Soooo, _this_ is it?" Karin said blankly, eyes trailing up and down the parking fee sign. "This is what you wanted to show me so much?"

After a couple of seconds of no reply Karin turned around to face them directly, "I mean sure, maybe it was important, but guys, this is just a si-" She craned her next from side to side, taking in nothing but a grey and empty parking lot. "Guys?"

She scrunched her eyebrows together and dropped her shoulders, "Okay not funny, and come out _now."_

If Karin had ever seen an old western movie before, this is where the director would cue the dust ball to roll by.

She exhaled and inhaled deeply and ran her hands up and down her arms to try and get rid of the goosebumps that were quickly arising. "I _swear_if this is a joke, I will send you all to the deepest, darkest, pits of Hueco Mundo and let the Vasto Lords deal with you!"

Karin took one more once over before squeezing her chest tighter in her hug, "…Guys?"

**  
O-x-x-x-x-O  
**

"Then find her!"

Renji swooped his arms up into the air and bellowed, "What the hell you want me to do?! Huh?! She could be anywhere!"

Ichigo slapped his palm to his forehead in aggravation, "I don't care okay! I lost here once, dammit it's not gonna happen again!"

Rukia crossed her arms over her chest, "The fastest way we'll find her is if we split up. We can find each other easily, I could point out your reiatsu's anywhere. We find her, send out a beacon and get back here. Alright?"

Ichigo grumbled under his breath and Renji attempted to help. "It's not like she's not strong. Karin'll kick ass if anyone comes close to her, she _did_ tear down our holding facility."

"Renji."

"Yeah?"

"You're really not helping."

**  
O-x-x-x-x-O  
**

"Well this is a problem." Matsumoto declared, crossing her arms across her ample chest and pouting.

Yuzu tugged at her hair and stuttered, "B-but Karin doesn't know her way around here! What if she's lost!?"

"Karin's not incompetent Yuzu." Hitsugaya, the ever voice of reason, sounded evenly.

"I know, but…" Matsumoto slung an arm around her shoulders, "Have a little faith. We'll find her."

Yuzu nodded hastily and raised her irises to view the taller woman, "How?"

Rangiku considered this for a moment until the "lightbulb" moment appeared and the idea came in full form, "Hitsugaya's like a tracker to that collar right? So we'll just sit back and wait for him to bring her back here."

"But I want to go too!"

"We'd just slow him down. Come on you and me'll sit here and you can tell me some juicey gossip till he get's back. Alright?"

Hitsugaya eyed Matsumoto in admiration. The woman was taking control of the situation and trying to keep Yuzu as calm as possible as well as keep a level head about the whole situation at the same time. He knew she was reliable when she had to be, but it was nevertheless impressive.

"She's right. I can go search for her and when I find her I'll come straight back here."

Yuzu sighed and slumped down onto a nearby stair.

"Be fast."

**  
O-x-x-x-x-O  
**

Karin walked through the bustling streets with heavy interest. The shops where huddled together as if protecting themselves form a bustling wind and each had a crowding mass of advertisements outside their doors. Karin let the colours, sounds and smells envelop her, slipping her eyelids over her gaze in a content sigh. She couldn't recall any of it, but it radiated a warmish feeling, and as far as Karin was concerned, that was just fine with her.

It was odd, she found. She was entirely by her lonesome, with absolutely no idea which way to go and no help, but she seemed so calm. Her heart-rate wasn't faster in the tight knot of the moment and pressure of the situation, but was beating regularly and in a steady drumming motion. For the first time in a long time, Karin really didn't mind being alone in a sea of people.

She continued her walk with not even a thought to anything else when she came across a scenery to good to pass. It was a landscape of the sun with the tips of edifice buildings outlining a border, all supported by a single grey railing. She clambered to the metal rail and swung her legs over, dropping down to the ground with her back supported against the cold steel.

Absentmindedly sliding a finger down her bone mask Karin smirked at the picture-perfect place before her. She could ask a million and one things: _What am I doing? I don't belong here do I? Shouldn't I be getting back? Shouldn't I be attempting to get back?_

_Even a little?_

Karin swung her head back and let loose a Cheshire cat grin, _…nah._

**  
O-x-x-x-x-O  
**

Hitsugaya propped his head against the palm of his hand that was leaned against the railing, he had been looking –or more precisely tracking- her for what seemed like limitless hours and yet here she was, laying against the very same railing with her eyelids hooded and a content look on her features. Hitsugaya wasn't sure if he'd be able to restrain himself from angrily shaking her awake.

After all, he had been walking up and down the _exact_ _same_ railing for _two__ hours_.

In fact, if she didn't look so damn bloody pleasant, he might've kicked her awake for the trouble she caused. But, to her good fortune, he settled for a seismic headache in its place.

"Well, _there_ you are." He grumbled, shaking his head in disbelief, "Do you have the slightest idea how much trouble you've made?"

They where all rhetorical questions of course, Karin was dead asleep, and even if she wasn't, there would be large chance that her reply would have been a shrug of the shoulder and a weak apology.

He bent down to her level and shoved a finger through the railing gape and poked her shoulder, "Karin?" She fidgeted under his touch but soothed herself back down without difficulty. "Karinnn?" He slurred her name out for extra emphasis and prodded harder. She winced and cracked an eye open.

"…yeah?"

He rolled his eyes and stood up, "Idiot."

She just grinned and stumbled to her feet, "Karakura's nice."

"What would you know? All you've seen is the back of your eyelids." He sneered.

Karin waved it off, "But from what I _did_ see, it was nice."

Hitsugaya stuffed his hands into his pockets and started walking forward with her jogging up beside him, "Why do you have to make my job so hard?"

She patted his shoulder understandingly, "It's to get the stick outta your ass." He looked at her incredulously for the vulgarity, and she nodded ever so wisely, "Don't worry, one day you'll thank me."

Hitsugaya made a mental note to pound Renji for the influence he had been having on her.

_But, than again._ He shoved his hands father down into his pockets, this attitude did seem to come pretty naturally to her. So maybe he'll just let it go.

"Y'know I was wrong."

He curved his eyebrows in to signify confusion.

"It's more of a pole isn't it?"

But just this once.

**  
O-x-x-x-x-O  
**

"So I think this can truly be called a failure of a mission." Ichigo hung his head as the group crowed back into the R&D department.

"You could say that. But on the other hand…" Matsumoto hummed as she strode in, one arm linked in Yuzu's and brimming with pride as her other hand was clutching bags undoubtedly filled with miscellaneous articles of clothing.

"When did you even find the time?" Rukia asked, "_We"_Very subtle whack at Ichigo and Renji, "Spent the whole time looking under rocks."

Matsumoto none-too-modestly boasted, "I call it skill."

Hitsugaya grumbled from her side, "I call it your paycheck money." Karin snickered.

"But I thought the Captains had to pay for destruction made on the battle ground inflicted by their vice-captains!" She whined.

"And _where_ exactly is this knowledge coming from?"

Matsumoto yanked out a torn page from the folds of her clothing and waved it in his face smugly, "Page one-hundred-sixty-eight, subsection 12.3, second edition!"

Curse her excessive knowledge for anything that might get her out of paying.

"Regardless, I'd hardly classify your shopping spree as a battle ground." He deadpanned.

She unhinged her mouth until it practically dropped to the floor, "What?! You _obviously_ did _not_ see the shoe-section when I was done."

"She's right you know. It could by terms be classified as destruction." Yuzu piped quite unhelpfully.

Karin slid open the door and walked through it, closely followed by the group of chattering shinigami behind her. Just as she was about to add onto the conversation when she was pulled by the arm to the back of the crowd.

"Hey! What the heck are you-"

Ichigo raised a finger to his lips and motioned, "Shhhh!"

Karin wasn't entirely decisive on the matter, but she opted for nodding and going silent anyway. When everyone else of the preoccupied shinigami had moved out of hearing distance they walked behind the pack while talking to each other.

"Alright, what is it ... Ichigo?" She hoped she got the name right.

"I got something to ask you."

She looked ahead to everyone who where getting further and further away, "Alright. But if he gets mad, I'm blaming you."

At least she still sounded like the Karin he remembered. "Fair enough." Karin noticed how uncomfortable he looked as she grasped for the right words, "Did you, was there anything that, whatever you saw…?"

Karin shifted under his expectant eyes and developed a sudden interest in the door behind him, whatever it took to avoid eye contact. "Well there might've been _something_…"

He flung his hands to her shoulders and smiled, "Really? Well I'll take that!"

Karin chuckled nervously under her breath, "Y-yeah. It's, ugh, really great."

He quickly removed his hands, "What's wrong?"

"Why do you care so much!?" Karin yelled. Begging to know the reasoning behind this man who she barely knew interest and attachment.

"I'm supposed to care, I am your-" He fell silent and mentally reprimanded himself for almost spilling.

She encouraged him to continue, "My…."

"Karin."

"Yeah?"

"I'm." He clenched his teeth.

"Yeah…"

"I'm your brother."

Well there it was. He had blurted it out and now it was _just there._

Hanging.

"You're my _WHAT?!"_

**  
O-x-x-x-x-O  
**

Hitsugaya paced back and forth the room, an urge to vent about the inept ability of Kurosaki Ichigo to filter his thoughts before he says them appearing in full form and volume.

"He did _not_ actually tell her that! Does he not understand, comprehend, any of this?!"

Matsumoto consoled form behind the door where she was changing clothes, "He's her _brother_Taichou. He has the right to be protective, and, I don't know, stupid for her sake."

"That's not an excuse!"

"Yes it is."

"It's not a viable one!"

"You'd understand if you had a little sister Taichou."

"Well I don't!" Matsumoto threw an exasperated sigh and she slung the door open, clad from head-to-toe in new clothes and accessories.

"Maybe you should have an emotional talk with Kuckiki-Taichou. He has a little sister."

"An emotional talk?" he asked incredulously.

"Yeah. We could bring Ichigo, Rukia, Karin, and we could all just vent and get drunk."

Hitsugaya groaned and slumped down onto the couch, "I can't take this."

"Don't knock it till ya try it."

He rubbed his forehead, "Unbelievable."

Matsumoto walked over, her heels tapping the floorboards with every step taken, and sat down beside him. "But you know what you should really be doing?"

"I give up. What?"

She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, "Seeing how Karin's holding up."

He sprung up almost instantaneously and slapped the palms of his hands to his forehead, "Karin! I completely forgot!"

It was irony, Matsumoto decided. He was here freaking out over Karin and her safety and such, and by doing so he had left her alone to deal with something she couldn't handle by herself.

What a neglect of her feelings.

But he did go running after her, so maybe something a bit stronger than what she had anticipated had happened? They did get together well compared to the other girls she had attempted and failed miserably at setting him up with.

_Oh what the hell._ She grabbed a bottle of sake form the table and put it to her stressed lips. _Let them deal with their feelings._

**  
O-x-x-x-x-O  
**

Karin scrunched down onto her knees, enjoying the comforting feeling of the damp grass on her legs. Everything had just being so overbearing lately, maybe just letting the troubles be ease off her –however mild, Karin had already figured that she wouldn't be completely stress-free- was something that would be good for her. Healthy.

She contorted her face to a look of disgust and snorted.

Alright, maybe healthy was a bit too extreme. She _had_just found out she had a brother after all. Either way it went though, it still didn't repress the situation at hand. She had a family. By some measure her family had left her. She had forgotten everything. She had been taken here. She had lost her connection to Shirohouou. She had been exposed to her life prior to her memory wipe.

And now they where all screwing her over.

Wonderful.

She released a frustrated yell and pressed her palms to cover her eyes. She had sincerely thought, for even the most miniscule of a time, that being here was the right thing to do. To educate herself in what these people knew, and trust them when he best firend Shirohouou had dissapeared from her awarence. But in the end they where just a group of people blocking the truth from her and apparently only willing to release such information in small increments.

That is of course, until she had met Kurosaki Ichigo. Karin pondered the name for a second. She faintly recalled having some other be titled with the same last name.

She collapsed onto her back, hitting her forehead in aggravation. Why wouldn't the memories come out?! Karin sulked and rolled form side to side, finally rolling all the way over and laying on the ground outside Hitsugaya's apartment with disdain.

She flinched at the sound of padded feet landing behind her. No one would dare come near her right now except for one particular person who Karin _really_ didn't want to see right now, it would only cause more unwanted stress to her indecisive mind.

"What is it Hitsugaya?"

She watched from her periphery vision as his feet rounded her body until he was planted firmly in front of her.

"You okay down there?" She could hear the waver in his tone. She lifted her arms form the ground and placed them under her head to support her neck to look up at him.

"Do I _look_ okay?"

He shuffled down so he was sitting across form her, "Not entirely, no."

"Well thank you, Mr. Obvious."

Sarcasm. This was a good sign.

"Anytime Karin."

Karin pushed her hands against the damp earth and pushed until her body was upright and in a more-or-less seated position. She observed him in a way a researcher might observe a new specimen, carefully and deductive. But he was unfazed under her prominent stare and smirked, "What are you looking for?"

She pulled back and shrugged, "I dunno. Some type of answer… or maybe food."

He chuckled lightly while his hand played pointlessly with a blade of grass, "I'm not quite sure about food, but I figure I can't mess your answers up more than your brother already has." He eyed her cautiously as he used the word 'brother'; she had stirred when he said it, but it didn't look like drastic damage was inflicted from the moron's outburst.

Karin blinked once, twice, "Well, no actually. All he said that I was his sister, I didn't really get much outta him. Does he have family?"

Hitsugaya pointedly noticed how her sentences where phrased, it still wasn't "So do _I_ have family." But he quelled the thoughts, truth was he didn't think he'd take it as well as she was if he had been in her position.

"He has a dad who lives here, and a younger sister much like yourself."

"Mom?"

"Died when you-" He lifted his eyes to stare into hers as she nervously and painfully obviously redirected her line of sight away from him, "-He, was young. You wouldn't have remembered anyway."

"What about my sister? Older or younger?"

"She's younger than you by a couple of minutes if I remember correctly." It was hard to forget with Isshin being the self-proclaimed announcer of everything that happened to Karin before the, Hitsugaya mentally scrambled for a proper phrasing, 'accident.'

"She's my _twin?"_

He hoped this part would smooth over nicely; she did already love Yuzu, even if she didn't know the why behind the how. "In fact you've already met her."

Karin chalked her neck to the side and began to nervously twine her fingers between the grasses green treads, subconsciously pulling up strand by strand. He had never seen anyone so squirrely of getting information before, but granted this _was_ Karin and her repressed memories. A very touchy subject for _anyone_to press on. "It's Yuzu."

Karin inhaled deeply, sucking in as much oxygen around her as physically possible, and Hitsugaya couldn't help but extend an arm of… friendship? Pity? Ignorance? Comfort?

He cursed under his breath when the revelation that he was socially inept hit him like an anvil on a backswing.

It was almost as if she could read his thoughts through touch Hitsugaya discovered; that exactly when his uneasy fingers rested on her shoulder, did Karin start to chuckle.

"You're really bad at this y'know."

He took it as a good grace, and slowly eased his hand to sliding down her back and pulled her closer to him until they where in what could technically be branded as a hug.

"Better?"

Karin would never admit it outloud, but she felt her breath hitch the second he pulled her to his chest in what could most defiantly be defined as the most awkward hug in her life.

But it didn't end that way.

Slowly wrapping her arms around his back in return she closed the remaining space between their bodies and hugged him tightly.

"Much."

He attempted restraint, but with her hair so close to his face he inhaled and took in her scent. She was so indescribable; he didn't even notice his other arm snake to her waist to complete the embrace until he opened his eyes that had gone hooded when she hugged him back.

Pressed together in a friendship/comfort/something completely different embrace on the grass outside of his apartment, Hitsugaya faintly let the thoguht cross, _What the hell am I doing?_ But he soon after -for some unknown reason- pushed it back. In fact, the moment was so strange and different but _good_, neither of them realized that they had being in such a pose for a good, steady minute, until they felt the water slowly drop from the clouds.

It started as a few drips pouring from the cumulus clouds but quickly evolved into a full-out downpour, abruptly knocking Karin and Hitsugaya from their trance like states.

He was the first to react, pushing back with both arms and facing his hand to the sky, palm-up. "Oh, crap."

Karin mimicked his motion, letting the rain pour onto her skin as well, "Said that right."

They stood up in unison and ducked under their arms for cover, both scampering back to the cover of his house. As they stood together under the overhang, Karin shook her head and flicked off the pooling droplet. As soon as she was convinced she had splashed him a decent amount of times she turned to the white haired man beside her who was wearing a expression of a cross between annoyance and plain amusement did she break out in a grin,

"Hey Hitsugaya?"

He ruffled his hair with his spare hand devilishly, making sure to land a few dashes water on her as well, and replied. "Yes?"

"You don't completely suck."

"Thanks Kairn. Thanks."

**  
O-x-x-x-x-O  
**

Hitsugaya proceeded back to the office for the last time that day. After convincing Karin to come back with him so she could stay with Matsumoto for a bit while he went to the Fifth Division to check on Hinamori, he just wanted to go back home and dip into a peaceful slumber. Although the prospect of leaving Karin alone with Matsumoto during her self-proclaimed 'drinking hour' would seem stupid to many, Hitsugaya had confidence in the woman to retain some type of self-restraint. It was only for forty minutes, it wasn't as if the woman was incompetent.

Clicking open the door he stepped into the room, a bemused expression immediately crossing his features at the sight before him.

Matsumoto had her back pressed against the wall on the other side of the room, barely peeking through the gaps in her fingers as she watched the destruction Karin was causing wildly. She had her sword out and was madly brandishing it, her eyes slightly glazed and a deep flush sprayed on her cheeks.

_"What_ did you do?!"

Matsumoto yelped at Hitsugaya who had made his entrance without her knowing and she fumbled, "She took the first five shots fine! But the sixth-!"

She got abruptly cut off as Karin came with her sword flailing and Matsumoto bounded away in a quick use of shunpo.

"Matsumoto! You let her drink?!"

She scrunched in discomfort as Karin brought her blade down yet again, but this time onto his desk.

"There goes my raise!" She wined miserably.

The precise slicing of the bookcase into two even halves promptly followed after the desk.

"My paycheck!"

Karin caught glance of Hitsugaya and went over to him, her face directly infront of his is in a flash. Despite her fuzzed head and lack of sensibility, somewhere in her conscious mind she retained the knowledge that she couldn't attack him because of the shock-collar still strapped securely to her neck.

"Karin…" He warned.

But she didn't care. Heaven knows she was far beyond that. She purred seductively and nuzzled her nose to his, licking her parched lips as she did so. "Tou-shir-o" She hummed out, raising her octaves higher and lower with each syllable.

"Kar-" But he was cut off as he suddenly found his mouth exceedingly occupied. Somewhere in the space of her saying his name and him starting hers, she has clasped her hands to both sides of his face and pressed her body against his, all including her lips.

He moved back to the wall, one hand pressed against it and the other on her waist, which before she had kissed him, was intended for pushing her back. Moving her mouth against his she fought to gain dominance and slid her tongue into his mouth, licking his lips as she did so. He kept his eyes open wide as Karin snaked one of her arms around his back, the other trailing upwards and tangling itself in his mess of hair.

Matsumoto gulped and blushed at Karin's force and Hitsugaya's pale-faced shock.

"And there goes my job."

**O-x-x-x-x-O**

* * *

  
_**A/N:** Well? Lets call that last part my x-mas gift to you guys. the kiss wasn't really planned, but I figured it added to the drama. ;)_

And did anyone noticed I put them at the railing? THE railing.

_**Review! **Review because it was x-mas! Review because it's almost new years! Review because my b-day was earlier this month! Review because you liked the chappie! Review for the sake of reviewing! All you have to do is chose one reason._


End file.
